Dera Radha Swami head Baba Gurinder Singh Dhillon says, 'all charges against Majithia are fabricated'
CHANDIGARH: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab on Tuesday strongly criticised Baba Gurinder Singh Dhillon, head of the Dera Radha Swami Beas, for visiting Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia in jail and publicly giving him a “clean chit.”
Baba Gurinder Singh visited Majithia for the second time at Nabha jail, ahead of the Supreme Court granting him bail in a disproportionate assets case. Majithia has already been released on bail in an NDPS Act case registered against him. After coming out of the jail, the Dera chief told mediapersons that all cases against Majithia were “fabricated.” He is related to Majithia and cited family ties as the reason for the visit.
The AAP government, however, objected to the religious leader’s public remarks on the cases. Baltej Pannu, media adviser to the Chief Minister and AAP’s chief spokesperson, said that while Baba Gurinder Singh may have personal or family relations with Majithia, he should refrain from visiting him in jail and making statements that amount to prejudging the case.
Pannu said Baba Gurinder Singh is a highly respected religious figure, but issuing a clean chit to an accused person amounts to interference in the judicial process. “It is for the courts to decide whether Majithia is innocent or guilty, ” he said.
Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema echoed similar views, saying the government respects Baba Gurinder Singh as a religious leader and acknowledged that his visit could be due to family relations. However, Cheema clarified that the grant of bail by the Supreme Court does not imply innocence.
He asserted that the prosecution has strong evidence against Majithia, which will be presented during the trial, and expressed confidence that the court would ultimately convict him.