Balwinder Singh granted conditional bail
Howrah: A local court on Monday granted conditional bail to Balwinder Singh, whose arrest during the BJP youth wing's protest rally to the West Bengal secretariat earlier this month led to an uproar as his turban came off during a scuffle with the police over his firearm.
Singh, a resident of Bhatinda in Punjab, has been in the custody of the Howrah City Police since his arrest from the rally on October 8.
"He was granted conditional bail by a court in Howrah," an official of the Howrah City Police told PTI.
Apart from asking Singh to report to the investigating officer in the case once a month, the court directed him not "leave beyond 20 km of the jurisdiction of the court without its permission".
"Singh should also not use any of his connection to influence the invetigations for he seems to be have been part of the Indian Army as it traspires from the documents submitted by the defence. He shall not become either part or member of any procession, agitation or mob," the court directed.
Singh, a 43-year-old private security officer hired by a BJP leader, was booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Arms Act for carrying a firearm the licence for which is not valid in West Bengal, the police claimed.
Singh was arrested with a loaded pistol.
Controversy had erupted after video clips of the police beating up Singh during BJP's march to the state secretariat went viral on the social media.
Some people claimed on social that the police had pulled at Singh's turban during the scuffle, following which it had come off. The police has denied the charge.
The turban controversy emerged as a major political flashpoint between the ruling TMC and the BJP, with the opposition party accusing the state government of hurting religious sentiments.
The Mamata Banerjee government refuting the charge had said that "communal colour" was "deliberately given" to the incident to serve "narrow partisan interest".
Singh's wife and son had come to Kolkata and met Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar at Raj Bhava seeking his intervention in the issue.
The incident had been criticised by Shiromani Akali Dal and the Akal Takht.
Shiromani Akali Dal national spokesperson, who is also president of Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee, Manjinder Singh Sirsa had led a delegation from Delhi to the city on October 11 demanding justice for Singh.
He had also gone to the Howrah court to meet Singh during his court hearing on that day and had assured Singh that the entire community was behind him.
Akal Takht jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh had condemned the incident.
Violence had erupted in Kolkata and adjoining Howrah on October 8 as BJP activists tried to break through barricades put up by the police to stop their rally to the secretariat.
