Kalka MLA, 14 others get 3 years in jail in 2011 case of clash with police

The FIR registered at Nalagarh police station dates back in 2011. At that time, Chaudhary was an INLD MLA from Kalka. In October, 2019, he was elected on a Congress ticket.

A HIMACHAL court Thursday convicted and sentenced to three years in prison a sitting Congress MLA from Panchkula’s Kalka constituency in an almost 10-year-old case of assault and rioting. Fourteen others too were convicted and sentenced for three years in the case along with Kalka MLA Pardeep Chaudhary.

The court of JMIC, Jetinder Kumar, Nalagarh, in district Solan, also slapped a fine of Rs 85,000 on the convicts. The court, meanwhile, also accepted the bail of all convicts. Chaudhary along with all others was present in the courtroom when the verdict was announced.

The FIR registered at Nalagarh police station dates back in 2011. At that time, Chaudhary was an INLD MLA from Kalka. In October, 2019, he was elected on a Congress ticket.

As per the prosecution, one Sucha Singh, 30, a resident of village Paploha near Kalka, critically injured when he climbed an electricity pole for evading a police party, which was challaning traffic violators, near Nalagarh on May 30, 2011. Injured was rushed to PGI. Later, he succumbed to injuries on June 12. Victim was a CA with an industrial unit in Baddi.

On June 13, 2011, all accused led an agitated mob and put the dead body in the middle of road blocking the traffic demanding a murder case against the police personnel. The mob turned violent, attacked police personnel and set at least two government vehicles on fire. An FIR was registered at PS Baddi.

The matter of the death of Sucha Singh was transferred to CBI. That case is still pending.

In the case of violence in the aftermath of Sucha Singh’s death, the court of JMIC Jetinder Singh convicted all the suspects under various charges along with slapping the fine of different amounts total Rs 85,000.

When contacted, Pardeep Chaudhary claimed, “The FIR against me and my colleagues was based on false facts. In fact, I tried to pacify the agitated mob. I was merely urging the district administration, Nalagarh, for pacifying the family members of a man, who died under mysterious circumstances when he was being chased by a police party. Sucha Singh was a resident of my constituency. His family members, relatives had called me at Nalagarh for talking with senior officers. Although the FIR was registered against over hundreds of unknown people, police only chargesheeted me and my other colleagues, who are all residents of Panchkula. Not a single person of Nalagarh was arrested, and chargesheeted. We will move an appeal against the sentence in the district session court.”

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