New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday accepted a plea of Dera Sacha Sauda followers seeking transfer of cases related to the 2015 Bargari sacrilege case outside Punjab.
A bench of Justices Anuradha Bose and Sudhanshu Dhulia passed the order on a petition filed by Shakti Singh and others, accused in the Bargari case.
After the murder of Mahinder Pal Bittu and Pradeep Kataria, accused in the sacrilege case, the remaining accused had approached the apex court. The Court has allowed a petition to shift the trial of a total of four cases out of Punjab. These include three cases related to Bargari sacrilege and one case related to Moga in 2010.
Dera followers moved to the Supreme Court alleging threat to their lives in three incidents related to the 2015 Bargari sacrilege case. The apex court had sought a report from the Punjab government on the plea.
Five of the accused including Sukhjinder Singh Sunny, Shakti Singh, Ranjit Singh Bhola, Nishan Singh and Baljit Singh had filed the petition in December last year.
The petition contended that Pradeep Singh Kataria, accused in the same case, was shot dead in Kotkapura on November 10, 2022, and he too received death threats.
Another Dera follower, Mahinderpal Bittu, was also killed in Nabha jail some time ago in connection with the Bargari sacrilege case. Following the incident, the Punjab Police had also provided security to the Dera followers who were out on bail.
Citing that the case should be sent to another state outside Punjab for hearing. After hearing this petition, a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court issued notice to the Punjab government and sought a report.