Ex-BJP minister’s brother held for ‘abusing’ Mufti

Jammu: After hiding for nearly 20 days, Rajinder Singh, brother of BJP leader Lal Singh, was arrested from Rajasthan by the Jammu and Kashmir police in connection with a case related to alleged abuse of state chief minister Mehbooba Mufti during a public rally, officials said here on Sunday.

The police cracked the case with the help of technical experts and pinpointed Rajinder’s location in Udaipur of Rajasthan. Immediately, a team was sent to Udaipur where help from the local police was sought in nabbing the accused, whose purported remarks on a video against the chief minister created a flutter with political leaders cutting across the party lines demanded strict action against him.

Mr Singh, while participating in “Dogra Samman rally” organised by his brother Lal Singh, had purportedly used very bad language against the chief minister and had also abused her.

The police registered a case on May 21 under Section 501 (printing or engraving words that are defamatory) and section 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC) and Section 66A of the IT Act. Based on the FIR, a Lookout Notice was issued against Mr Singh by chief judicial magistrate Kathua. “Based on application filed by SHO police station Hiranagar to the effect that accused Rajinder Singh, involved in FIR no 187 of 2018 for offences under sections 501, 509 of RPC and sections 66/67 of IT Act registered with Police Station Hiranagar, is evading arrest and is hiding/concealing himself...,” the order read. His bail application was also rejected on June 1 by the court.

Rajinder Singh is the younger brother of former Jammu-Kashmir minister and BJP leader Lal Singh, who resigned from the state cabinet after he participated in a rally organised by Hindu Ekta Manch in support of Kathua rape-murder accused.

The video had gone viral on social media in which Rajinder Singh is seen sitting on the bonnet of a jeep and purportedly using abusive language against the chief minister.

The video is alleged to be shot on May 20 when Mr Singh held a march seeking CBI probe in the Kathua rape-murder case.  After the video went viral on social media, former J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah condemned the unacceptable language used by Lal Singh’s brother and urged the state police to file an FIR against Rajinder.