Punjab: Farmer leader Khudian, who was detained for questioning, got bail

Punjab: A court here on Wednesday granted bail to a farmer leader who was arrested by the police four days ago during a district-level programme when he asked a question to Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian. Nirmal Singh, district general secretary of the Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta-Sidhupuri) led by Jagjit Singh Dallewal, was sent to judicial custody by an SDM court on Saturday, hours after the alleged incident. He was arrested under Sections 126 (protection to maintain peace among other things) and 170 (arrest to prevent the commission of cognizable offences) of the Indian Civil Services Code.

The minister had denied any role in the farmer leader’s arrest. Speaking to The Tribune, Nirmal Singh said, “I had asked the minister a question related to a hybrid variety of paddy, but the police immediately arrested me.” The farmer leader said he had refused to furnish a bail bond on the day of his arrest, following which he was sent to four-day judicial custody. He said, “Today when I was again produced before the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) court, I sought bail, which was granted to me.” Meanwhile, BKU (Ekta-Siddhupur) state general secretary Kaka Singh Kotra condemned the arrest of Nirmal Singh during a farmers’ convention at Doda village here. “We will gherao the minister and if needed, we will also stage an indefinite dharna outside his residence,” he said.