NEW DELHI—As per a statement by the SOPW, Bhai Lal Singh Akalgarh has once again been released on parole. He was last released after morcha by Bhai Gurbaksh Singh Khalsa at Gurdwara Amb Sahib. SOPW has been working hard with its legal team to achieve the premature release of Lal Singh Akalgarh.
Following is the entire statement published by SOPW –
We had lodged his appeal with the Supreme Court long before Lal Singh was granted one months parole during Bhai Gurbaksh Singh’s hungerstrike in December 2013. Supreme Court lawyers charge premium fees, and SOPW spent Rs. 300,000 to appoint a good lawyer ensuring that Lal Singh had adequate representation in Court. However, since the start of the year, the appeal procedure has been fraught with delays. On numerous occasions the judge has postponed the date of the hearing, claiming that the list of cases to be heard was too long and that Lal Singh would not get his turn on that given day.
The courts have only just reopened after their summer break and now we have found out that the Supreme Court lawyer assigned to Lal Singh’s case has become a government appointed prosecutor and is therefore no longer able to represent Lal Singh.
Currently Lal Singh is back at home on his routine parole period and we are in the position of finding a new lawyer who will come with his own fee. Needless to say, Lal Singh was very distressed and concerned when our team spoke with him, but we have reassured him that SOPW remains committed to him and his family. With the Sangat’s help, SOPW are funding his daughter’s education fees as well as putting together a 5 lakhs Rs rehabilitation package for Lal Singh earlier in the year. Once Lal Singh’s appeal process is back on track, we will keep you updated.
