Even before Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira could take a sigh of relief following the Punjab and Haryana High Court's decision to grant him bail in a Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) case, fresh legal troubles loomed over the Bholath MLA. In a dramatic turn of events, the Kapurthala police swiftly arrested Khaira on the charges of threatening and intimidating a key witness in the NDPS case just hours after his release on bail.
As Khaira emerged from the high-security confines of Nabha jail, a wave of uncertainty engulfed him. The Kapurthala police arrested him, ushering in a new chapter in the ongoing legal saga. The charges, filed under Section 195-A (threatening any person to give false evidence) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), stem from a complaint lodged by Ranjit Kaur, the wife of Kashmir Singh, a crucial witness in the NDPS case against Khaira. The case was reportedly registered at 3 am on Thursday at Subhanpur police station.
Ranjit Kaur, a resident of Dogranwala village near Kapurthala, alleged in her complaint that on October 15, 2023, two unidentified masked individuals on a motorcycle visited her residence and threatened harm to her family unless her husband withdrew his statement against Khaira in the NDPS case. Additionally, on October 22, 2023, she claimed to have received an anonymous threatening call, further intensifying the fear for her family's safety.
The complaint prompted Ranjit Kaur to file a criminal complaint against Khaira in the court of Judicial Magistrate Supreet Kaur on November 6, 2023. The magistrate disposed of her case and directed the Station House Officer (SHO) to investigate the matter.
The NDPS case involved the recovery of two kg of heroin, 24 gold biscuits, one country-made pistol, a .315-bore pistol and two Pakistani SIM cards. Khaira was arrested on September 28, 2023, after a raid at his bungalow in Chandigarh, on the complaint of Kashmir Singh.
The sequence of events unfolded rapidly as Khaira was transported to Kapurthala by evening, where he appeared before the court of Judicial Magistrate First Class, Supreet Kaur, and he was sent to one-day police custody.
The fresh case added a layer of complexity to an already contentious legal battle, intensifying the scrutiny on Sukhpal Khaira’s legal and political standing. The swift legal actions and subsequent arrest have raised questions about the intersection of law and politics in this high-profile case, fueling speculations of vendetta politics at play.
Observers and political commentators have been quick to point out the timing of the fresh charges and the rapid response from the Kapurthala police, coming just hours after the High Court granted bail to Khaira in the NDPS case. The speed with which the new case was registered and acted upon has led to suspicions of a political motive behind the arrest, with allegations of vendetta politics gaining traction.
Khaira’s son Mehtab Singh Khaira, promptly reacting to the arrest, labelled it a conspiracy against his father. Expressing disbelief, he questioned how Khaira, still in jail even after being granted bail, could pose a threat or intimidate anyone. The family remains committed to pursuing legal recourse and expressed hope for justice.
“Completely rattled by the bail granted by Hon’ble High Court to my father Sardar Sukhpal Singh Khaira today in the NDPS case, @BhagwantMann acting out of hatred and vindictiveness ordered Subhanpur police to register yet another FIR to produce him before the Magistrate at Kapurthala before 3 pm. I only want to say these intimidatory and threatening acts of the CM cannot cow down my father. We will continue with our fight for the state of Punjab. Adv @khaira_mehtab,” read Mehtab’s post, from his father’s official handle on X (formeely Twitter).
The political landscape surrounding Khaira's case has been rife with allegations of vendetta politics and conspiracies. Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, responding to the fresh FIR, asserted that it was indicative of the Punjab Government's vendetta politics. He said that the new case was an attempt to “harass” Khaira further, transforming legal proceedings into a political battleground.
“Justice Denied! The recent FIR against @SukhpalKhaira is a proof that the @AAPPunjab Govt is doing vendetta politics. The FIR has been registered just to harass him even further…This is not Badlaav… this is Badla!” posted Warring on X.
Leader of Opposition in Vidhan Sabha Partap Singh Bajwa posted on X, “This is the height of the petty vendetta politics of the @AAPPunjab Govt….Khaira is a bold and outspoken leader, who often criticises the CM @BhagwantMann for his anti-people policies.”
“The entire sordid episode shows that the AAP govt in Punjab has got scared of the Congress party. It doesn't tolerate the presence of the opposition at all, which is highly deplorable,” he added.
Khaira, hailing from the Bholath constituency in Kapurthala, is also serving as the chairman of the All India Kisan Congress. He has been elected thrice from Bholath, including once as Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) candidate in 2017.
