A local court here has acquitted Punjab Deputy Chief Minister and Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal in a case involving assault on a journalist.
The court has set aside all charges against the Deputy Chief Minister in the 10-year-old case where the complainant Naresh Kumar Sehgal had alleged beating and injury.
The court of Satish Kumar, Judicial Magistrate, First Class (JMIC), Faridkot, acquitted Sukhbir, giving him the benefit of doubt as the complainant in the case, Naresh Kumar Sehgal, failed to give substantial evidence to probe the crime of the accused, Sukhbir Badal.
A case against Sukhbir was registered at Kotkapura police station, Faridkot, on June 30, 2006, on the directions of Punjab and Haryana High Court after Sehgal approached the court, accusing Sukhbir Badal and some of his associates of making a murderous attack on him in 1999 during electioneering for Parliamentary elections in Kotkapura. Sukhbir Badal was contesting the election for Faridkot lok Sabha seat.
In the last six years, Naresh Sehgal had filed five writ petitions in the HC, seeking protection to his life and liberty after the SAD came to power in 2007. Sehgal alleged that he was getting threats to withdraw the case against Sukhbir Badal.