Latest news with #Sandhu
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Forest Act violation case: Mohali court upholds WWICS owner's 2009 conviction but no jail
The court of additional sessions judge Prashant Verma on Monday upheld the 2009 conviction of Colonel Baljit Singh Sandhu (retd), the owner of World Wide Immigration Consultancy Services (WWICS), for violating Section 2 of the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, by constructing a resort on a forest land in Mohali's Karoran village. However, instead of sentencing him to jail, the court granted him probation. Probation in criminal cases allows a convicted person to avoid incarceration and remain in the community but under supervision. Col Baljit Singh Sandhu (retd) (HT File) As per the order, Sandhu will serve his sentence under the supervision of a probation officer, instead of being jailed. Sandhu's counsel Amit Mandkan said they will challenge this sentence and file a revision petition before a higher court. The case stems from a judgment dated September 17, 2009, issued by the chief judicial magistrate, Rupnagar, convicting Sandhu for violating Section 2 of the Forest Conservation Act, 1980. The conviction was specifically under Section 3(A) of the Act, which prescribes penalties for contraventions of Section 2. The accused had filed an application under Section 359(5) (corresponding to Section 320 of the CrPC, 1973) seeking compounding of the offence. Compounding refers to settlement of certain criminal cases by allowing the complainant to withdraw their complaint in exchange for some compensation or resolution. The plea was based on Section 68 of the Indian Forest Act, 1927, which allows certain offences to be compounded by the forest officer. Sandhu contended that the land in question, being treated as forest land under the Indian Forest Act, 1927, should allow compounding of the offence. However, his application had earlier been rejected by the Mohali divisional forest officer. The state government strongly opposed the plea, arguing that the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, contains no provision for compounding offences. It further maintained that Section 68 of the Indian Forest Act, 1927, applies only to violations specified within that Act, and thus, Sandhu's application was legally untenable. Despite rejecting the compounding plea, the court showed leniency by granting probation, giving the convict a chance to demonstrate compliance with the law under supervised conditions.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
WWICS chief's conviction upheld in Forest Act case
Mohali: A local court on Monday upheld the 2009 conviction of Col Baljit Singh Sandhu (retd), owner of WorldWide Immigration Consultancy Services (WWICS), in a case under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, but granted him probation instead of jail time. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The order was pronounced by additional sessions judge Prashant Verma. Under the probation terms, Sandhu will now serve his sentence under the supervision of a probation officer, allowing him to remain in the community rather than face incarceration. The decision effectively offers the convict a chance to rehabilitate under legal scrutiny, in accordance with provisions of criminal law. Advocate Amit Mandkan, counsel for Sandhu, said they plan to challenge the sentencing further. "We will file for revision of the sentence in a higher court," he said. The case pertains to a violation of Section 2 of the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, for which Sandhu was convicted by the chief judicial magistrate, Rupnagar, on Sept 17, 2009. The conviction was made under Section 3(A) of the Act, which deals with penalties for unauthorised use or diversion of forest land. Sandhu filed an application seeking compounding of the offence under Section 359(5), corresponding to Section 320 of the CrPC, 1973. He argued that the offence should be compoundable under Section 68 of the Indian Forest Act, 1927, which permits certain forest-related offences to be settled out of court. However, the application was rejected by the Divisional Forest Officer, Mohali, and subsequently contested by the State. The prosecution maintained that the Forest Conservation Act, 1980 does not contain any provision to compound offences, and Section 68 of the 1927 Act applies only to specific offences listed under that statute. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The court concurred with the State's argument but granted probation considering the long-pending nature of the case and other mitigating factors. The court's decision highlights the legal complexity in cases involving overlapping provisions of environmental laws and underscores the distinction between compoundable and non-compoundable offences under different forest legislations. While the probation order spares Sandhu from immediate jail time, the legal battle appears far from over as the defence prepares to pursue further relief through appellate forums.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
AAP's 2022 losing candidate, kin get year's probation in 2018 assault case
1 2 Jalandhar: Aam Aadmi Party functionary Harminder Singh Sandhu, who lost the 2022 assembly election from Chabbewal, has been convicted and sentenced along with his father, uncle, and two cousins in an assault case registered in Jan 2018. They were charged with voluntarily causing hurt and rioting while armed with a deadly weapon. Sandhu was the AAP constituency in-charge until the Chabbewal byelection in 2024, when Hoshiarpur MP Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal's son, Dr Ishank, was made the AAP candidate from Chabbewal. He won that bypoll. The court of judicial magistrate (first class) Mehak Sabharwal on Tuesday convicted Sandhu, father Surinderpal Singh, uncle Rachpal Singh, latter's son Gagandep Singh, and another cousin Manraj Singh. They were sentenced to a year of probation upon furnishing probation bonds of Rs 30,000 with a surety of the same amount, and Rs 1,000 as litigation expenses. Sandhu and his relatives were booked on a complaint by Chabbewal sarpanch Shivranjan Singh, who alleged that sewer pipes were being laid in the village when the convicts stopped work near their house and attacked him. Sandhu and his relatives argued that they were booked out of political rivalry.
Indian Express
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
MP Satnam Sandhu seeks Bharat Ratna for Shaheed Bhagat Singh
Rajya Sabha MP Satnam Singh Sandhu Monday urged the Union government to posthumously confer the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour, on three iconic martyrs of the freedom struggle from Punjab — Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Shaheed Udham Singh and Shaheed Madan Lal Dhingra. Raising the demand on the opening day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, Sandhu said, 'It is ironic and deeply painful that even after 77 years of independence, these legendary martyrs have not been awarded the Bharat Ratna. Their ideology and sacrifice continue to inspire generations of Indians, especially the youth.' Calling the move a 'true tribute to their martyrdom', Sandhu said the demand reflected not only 'the public sentiments of Punjab and its people but the entire nation's conscience'. He described the trio as 'symbols of India's unrelenting spirit, resilience and resistance against colonial oppression'. Appealing to the Centre to 'awaken the national consciousness', the MP added, 'Under the Modi government, real national heroes are being honoured, irrespective of caste, creed, religion or socio-economic status. I urge the Union government to keep this spirit alive by conferring Bharat Ratna on Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Shaheed Udham Singh and Shaheed Madan Lal Dhingra.' Sandhu also recalled their sacrifices: 'Bhagat Singh, who embraced martyrdom at 23, remains a lasting symbol of fearless defiance; Udham Singh avenged the Jallianwala Bagh massacre by assassinating General O'Dwyer in London; and Madan Lal Dhingra, one of the earliest revolutionaries, shocked the British Empire by killing Curzon Wyllie in 1909.'
The Hindu
21-07-2025
- The Hindu
Veteran pilot Sandhu joins Air India plane crash probe as domain expert
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has roped in veteran pilot and Air India's former director of operations, Captain R.S. Sandhu, as a domain expert in the ongoing probe into the Ahmedabad plane crash that killed 260 persons last month, sources said on Sunday (July 20, 2025). Captain Sandhu, who was also a designated examiner for the Boeing 787-8 fleet at Air India, had taken delivery of the now-crashed 787-8 plane — VT-ANB — in 2013. On June 12, Air India's Boeing 787-8 aircraft en route to London Gatwick from Ahmedabad crashed into a building soon after takeoff, killing 260 people, including 19 people on the ground. Out of the 242 people onboard, one passenger survived. On July 12, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) released its preliminary report into the fatal crash. "AAIB has onboarded seasoned aviator R.S. Sandhu in the ongoing investigation of the Air India Boeing 787-8 plane crash in Ahmedabad last month," one of the sources told PTI. AAIB had apparently approached Captain Sandhu to be a domain expert in the ongoing probe, and he agreed to the proposal, the sources said. Captain Sandhu, who was with Air India for close to 39 years in various capacities, is the founder of aviation consultancy firm Aviazione. He had also headed a team that worked on the integration of the Tata Group airlines. Various pilot unions had raised concerns over the absence of subject matter experts in the probe. Airline Pilots' Association of India (ALPA India) has been urging AAIB to include its representatives in the Air India aircraft crash probe. Details about other domain experts, who are part of the AAIB investigation, could not be immediately ascertained. A five-member team, headed by 56-year-old Sanjay Kumar Singh, is probing the fatal crash of the Air India aircraft. Experienced pilots, engineers, aviation medicine specialists, aviation psychologists and flight recorder specialists have been taken on board as subject matter experts to assist in the investigation in the area of their domain expertise, according to AAIB.
