BKI deputy chief Jagtar Singh Hawara acquitted by Ludhiana court in 1996 arms recovery case

Ludhiana/Punjab (August 31, 2012): It is learnt that Babbar Khalsa International’s deputy chief Bhai Jagtar Singh Hawara was today acquitted by a Ludhiana court in a 1996 case of recovery of weapons. Hawara was today produced before First Class Judicial Magistrate Mr. Atul Kaboj’s court under tight security. As the court was situated on fifth floor of Ludhiana court/Judicial complex, high security was deployed on every floor of the court and most of the entrances were either closed or were kept under high security.

Advocate Jaspal Singh Manjhpur, who was Hawara’s co-council in this case informed Sikh Siyasat that the case was registered against Bhai Jagtar Singh Hawara as per F.I.R. number 2, dated January 04, 1996 under section 25 of the Arms Act at Police station Focal point Ludhiana. Police had showed the recovery of fourteen 30-bore pistols with twenty cartages, nine 38-bore pistols and a rocket launcher from Jagtar Singh Hawara.

Advocate Jaspal Singh Manjhpur informed Sikh Siyasat that charge-sheet in this case was filed against Bhai Jagtar Singh Hawara om August 07, 1996 but after the notification of trial in CM Beant Singh assassination case in which Jagtar Singh Hawara was held as main-accused by the CBI, the progress of Ludhiana recovery case came to stand still.

The charge in this case was filed against Bhai Jagtar Singh Hawara on March 30, 2011 and the trial started.

Only the police employees were kept as witnesses in this case and there were no witnesses from public as regards alleged recovery.

Sub-inspector Chamkaur Singh, Assistant Sub-inspector Ram Bahadur, Ahdel to D.C. Prabhjot Singh, Inspactor Gurmeet Pinky and Assistant Sub-inspector Kuldeep Singh recorded their witnesses in this case.

The proceedings of this case against Jagtar Singh Hawara were being held by way of video-conferencing and Hawara was not being produced in the court personally. On August 22, 2012 the court ordered for personal appearance of Bhai Jagtar Singh Hawara to hear the decision. Therefore today he was personally produced in the court.

During the entire proceedings of the trial the police was not able to produced rocket launcher alleged to have been recovered from Bhai Hawara. More over there were many contradictions between testimonies of police witnesses and there was total absence of any independent public witness to recovery. Therefore, the court observed that the case against Hawara was not made out by the prosecution. The court acquitted Bhai Jagtar Singh Hawara in this case.