A decade ago, the police in two jurisdictions — Mumbai and Delhi — squabbled with each other over the arrest of a terror suspect.
Both police forces wanted to hog the limelight and claim the successful arrest of the suspect, Naqi Ahmed, in 2012. On Friday in an unprecedented turn of events, the police in three States — Delhi, Haryana and Punjab — bickered over the arrest and subsequent release of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga. Former police officers slammed the drama around Mr. Bagga’s arrest, highlighting the need for police reforms and to free the police from political influences.
The Union Home Ministry did not respond to questions on whether it had sought a report or intervened in the matter.
The Delhi police reports to the Union government through the Union Home Ministry, Haryana has a BJP government in power and Punjab recently elected an Aam Aadmi Party government. Former Uttar Pradesh Director-General of Police Prakash Singh said State police were being misused by political parties in power to promote their agenda, and this was a new trend that had emerged in the past few years. “The police must be insulated from external influences and political interventions. It is creating multiple problems, Centre vs State, State vs State, among others, police reforms are a must,” said Mr. Singh, who first moved a petition in Supreme Court in 2006 on police reforms. According to Meeran Chadha Borwankar, former Director-General of Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D), the police being used by political parties is a stark reality. “But the Bagga episode is the nadir of police professionalism,” she said.
“If a lawful arrest was made by the Punjab police then interrupting them is uncalled for. If the police in Haryana or Delhi had information that he has been kidnapped by Punjab Police, they should have examined the case documents and should have moved court to nullify the order rather than stopping Punjab Police midway,” said R.K. Vij, former special DGP of Chhattisgarh.
Mr. Bagga was arrested in a case registered on April 1 at the Mohali police station for allegedly making statements on March 30 during a protest against Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.
Delhi BJP leader Bagga’s arrest by Punjab police sets off drama Haryana police intercept him, Delhi counterparts bring him back to capital
Political twist: BJP cadres staging a protest over the arrest of Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga, right, outside the AAP headquarters in New Delhi on Friday.SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR/PTISHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR
Political twist: BJP cadres staging a protest over the arrest of Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga, right, outside the AAP headquarters in New Delhi on Friday.SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR/PTISHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR
Special Correspondent CHANDIGARH/NEW DELHI
A police team from Punjab arrested BJP leader T.P. Singh Bagga in Delhi on Friday, but the Haryana police intercepted the party and handed him over to the Delhi police, triggering a major face-off between the Aam Aadmi Party and the BJP.
While the BJP and the Congress hit out at the AAP, accusing it of involving in political vendetta, which their leaders said ‘humiliated Punjab police’, the AAP hit back saying that under the BJP’s leadership, the Delhi police and the Haryana police acted in an unlawful way.
The Punjab police arrested Mr. Bagga from his Delhi home on charge of making inflammatory remarks through social media and interviews. Mr. Bagga had come under fire from the AAP, which is ruling both Delhi and Punjab, for his tweet against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal after he mocked The Kashmir Files movie in the Delhi Assembly.
AAP chief spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj said the Punjab police arrested Mr. Bagga only after he failed to join the investigation despite five summons.
Meanwhile, the Delhi police registered an FIR following the arrest of Mr. Bagga on a complaint filed by Mr. Bagga’s father, Preet Pal Singh Bagga, who said he was manhandled and abducted by those who came to make the arrest. The FIR has been filed under sections 452, 356, 392, 359A and 34 of the Indian Penal Code, which includes sections of robbery, abduction and house trespass among others.
According to the Delhi police, a wireless message was flashed and the vehicle ferrying Mr. Bagga to Mohali was intercepted by the Haryana police at Kurukshetra.
The Punjab police alleged that it was an act of illegal detention.
Later, the Haryana police handed over Mr. Bagga to the Delhi police.
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