Farmers protests: Court grants anticipatory bail to two Punjabi singers

CHANDIGARH: The Chandigarh district court granted anticipatory bail to Punjabi singers Sarbans Prateek and Sukhwinder Singh, who were booked by Chandigarh Police when they were protesting in support of farmers in Sector 34. The court order reads that as nothing is sought to be recovered from possession of petitioners, it would be just and appropriate if concession of anticipatory bail as granted to petitioners is made absolute.The court also directed that they should join the investigation and abide by the provisions of Section 438(2) CrPC. Apart from these two, the court also granted bail to two Chandigarh residents Mehar Singh and Kirpal Singh.
Advocate Vikram Vohra counsel argued that they were not in possession of any weapons/Lathies/Bhala and have not inflicted any injury on the police party. It was further submitted that they were protesting peacefully to support the Kisan protest. Further, no recovery is to be effected from the applicants.
The petitioners were booked by Chandigarh police and they moved to court on account of apprehension of arrest in respect of FIR dated 08.12.2020, Police Station South Sector-34, Chandigarh, under section 147/ 148/ 149/ 186/ 269/ 270/ 332/ 353 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 and Section 3 of Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984 and Section 3 of Epidemic Act, 1897 .
It was mentioned that there was peaceful protest going on in front of Sector 34 Gurudwara and the object of such gathering was to protest against the three farm bills which in itself is seeing the mass agitation/protest on Delhi-Haryana
Border. Advocate SS Gill argued That the Petitioners were not in possession of any weapons/lathis/bhala as contended by the prosecution and they have not inflicted any injury on the policy party.It was also submitted that the Petitioners were protesting peacefully andwhen they marched towards the BJP Bhawan in Sector 33, Police lathi charged them leading to various injuries to the people who have gathered there to support the protest. Advocate Shubham argued that There was a gathering of 600-700 people there including children, women and men and knowingly the Police Party lathi charged them and brutally attacked them.
It was submitted that the present case FIR is nothing but a tool used by the police party to harass and pressurize the Petitioners from stopping them to protest against the 3 Farms bills. It was stated that The petitioner has no other alternative and efficacious remedy other than to move to this Court praying for grant of concession of anticipatory bail.