Kalka MLA Pradeep Chawdhary, 14 others sentenced to three-year imprisonment

Tribune News Service
Solan, January 28

Judicial magistrate, First Class, Nalagarh, on Thursday sentenced Kalka MLA Pradeep Chawdhary and 14 others to three years simple imprisonment and fine of Rs 85,500 each for rioting, assault, use of criminal force to deter public servant from discharging his duty, mischief by fire or explosive substance and under the prevention of Damage to Public Property (PDP)Act.

A case under Sections 143, 148, 147, 324, 332, 353, 435 of the IPC and Sections 3 and 4 of the PDP Act was registered against them in 2011 at Barotiwala.

According to the history of the case, one Suchha Singh, a resident of Paploha village near Kalka, had climbed atop an electricity pole at Barotiwala to escape the traffic police which was performing its duty there on May 31, 2011. 

He sustained grievous injuries as he had come in contact with an electricity wire and had later succumbed to his injuries at PGI, Chandigarh.

Peeved at this, a violent crowd of people from Haryana villages including Shahpur, Paploha, Bar Godam, Lehi Kherawali, Banoi Sawalia, etc., armed with wooden sticks, rods and stones, placed his dead body at Baddi near the red light chowk after the post-mortem in protest. 

They attacked the police who were performing the law and order duties and trying to pacify the unruly crowd.

The protesters also blocked the traffic on the highway and set ablaze two government vehicles, including a bus and a pick-up vehicle.

The unruly crowd was led by Mahesh Kumar, a resident of Shahpur, in Haryana, and Kalka MLA Pradeep Chawdhary was also part of it along with 13 others.

One accused had also died during the course of the trial.

The prosecution was able to establish its case aptly on the basis of witnesses and evidence.