A Bathinda-based journalist, Rattandeep Singh Dhaliwal, has sought legal recourse by approaching the Punjab and Haryana High Court following a series of police complaints filed against him by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs. The controversy stems from a podcast where Dhaliwal suggested that approximately 32 current MLAs might not receive party nominations in the forthcoming Punjab assembly elections. This statement prompted several MLAs to lodge complaints, resulting in police notices being served to Dhaliwal.
High Court Proceedings
During a recent court session, Justice Rohit Kapoor decided to schedule the hearing for Wednesday. The court intends to review the podcast in question before making any judgments. Dhaliwal has filed a petition requesting the quashing of the police proceedings initiated against him, asserting that the complaints are baseless and politically motivated.
Petitioner’s Claims
The petition alleges that instead of addressing the claims made in the podcast, AAP opted to retaliate by orchestrating a wave of identical complaints from its MLAs. Dhaliwal argues that these complaints are frivolous, merely requiring MLAs to insert their names and constituencies, while the complaints themselves contain uniform and exaggerated allegations. Specifically, they suggest that the podcast has incited ‘hatred and unrest’ in Punjab, a claim Dhaliwal dismisses as both factually incorrect and legally unsustainable.
Police Actions and Allegations of Intimidation
In light of the complaints, police from Patiala, Amritsar, Bathinda, and Ferozepur have summoned Dhaliwal for questioning. He alleges that despite his willingness to cooperate, police conducted raids at his residence, an act he interprets as intimidation rather than genuine investigation. Dhaliwal argues that this is part of a broader trend in Punjab, where criminal law is used to suppress journalistic voices.
Defense and Counterarguments
The Punjab Advocate General, Maninderjit Singh Bedi, countered in court that no First Information Reports (FIRs) have been filed against Dhaliwal, suggesting his legal approach is premature. Bedi emphasized the necessity for Dhaliwal to participate in the legal proceedings and criticized his claims as baseless.
Senior Advocate RS Bains, representing Dhaliwal, accused AAP of pursuing a vendetta against the journalist by targeting his social media presence. Bains argued that without any FIRs, the police’s jurisdiction to act is questionable. He noted that since the petition’s filing, additional complaints have continued to emerge against Dhaliwal.
In response to Bains’ arguments, AG Bedi maintained that journalists must adhere to the law. Further legal representation for Dhaliwal is provided by Advocates Loveneet Thakur and Sarabjot Singh Cheema.
