NEW DELHI—In a 36 years old plane hijacking case, the Patiala House Court today cancelled indictment of Dal Khalsa activists Bhai Satnam Singh Paonta Sahib and Bhai Tejinderpal Singh under sedition charges as per section 124-A of Indian Penal Code. However, duo of them have been put on fresh trial sections 121 and 121-A (waging war against the state) of IPC by the Court.
Senior Advocate Manisha Bhandari represented Bhai Satnam Singh Paonta Sahib and Bhai Tejinderpal Singh in the court. She argued before the court that the petitioners have already spent 36 years of their life in litigation and have already served one life sentence in Pakistan.
On being contacted by Sikh24, Dal Khalsa’s spokesperson S. Kanwarpal Singh said that both the Dal Khalsa activists have felt relief. He added that now half of their stress is over. “Their counsel will move a petition in the Delhi High Court soon to challenge the indictment of duo Dal Khalsa activists under 121, 121-A of IPC,” he said.
Bhai Gajinder Singh, Bhai Satnam Singh, Bhai Jasbir Singh, Bhai Karan Singh, Bhai Tejinderpal Singh had hijacked an Air India flight IC-423 from New Delhi to Srinagar and had taken it to Pakistan on Sep 29, 1981 in protest of Sant Bhindranwale’s arrest . After undergoing 14 year jail term in Pakistani prison, Bhai Karan Singh and Bhai Jasbir Singh had taken political asylum in Switzerland while Bhai Satnam Singh and Bhai Tejinderpal Singh returned back to Punjab. Dal Khalsa’s patron Bhai Gajinder Singh is still living in exile in Pakistan.
