FIR against Bajwa: Punjab and Haryana HC asks Punjab not to arrest Congress leader till April 22

Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday issued notice to the Punjab government and directed it not to arrest Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa till the next date of hearing on April 22 in connection with his "50 bombs have reached Punjab" statement.

Bajwa had moved the court seeking quashing of an FIR registered against him over his statement.

The Congress leader's counsel APS Deol told reporters after the hearing that the court directed Punjab not to arrest Bajwa till the next date of hearing which has been fixed for April 22, Bajwa, the Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, had been booked on charges, including misleading information that endangers the country's sovereignty and unity after being quizzed over his "50 bombs have reached Punjab" claims.

He has been booked under Sections 197(1)(d) (false and misleading information that endangers country's sovereignty and unity) and 353(2) (false statements intend to create enmity and hatred or ill will) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Bajwa, through his counsel, has filed a petition seeking quashing of the FIR registered against him.

"We have challenged the FIR and the state has been asked to respond to the plea on the maintainability of the sections," Deol said.

The counsel also said Bajwa has also been asked not to make a public statement with regard to the case.

Deol said during his questioning on Tuesday, Bajwa cooperated with the police.

The case against Bajwa was registered at Cyber Crime police station in Mohali.

In an interview to a private television channel, Bajwa had claimed, "I have come to know that 50 bombs have reached Punjab. Of this, 18 have exploded, 32 are yet to go off." Bajwa, who appeared before the police in Mohali on Tuesday, was quizzed for around six hours by police in connection with the FIR registered against him.

He had termed his questioning as a "sustained interrogation" and said his targeting by the state's AAP government was "political vendetta".