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One convicted in Mirdha kidnapping case

Rajendra Mirdha, the son of senior Congress leader Ram Niwas Mirdha, was kidnapped on 17 February 1995 from C-Scheme area of the city where he had gone for a morning walk.

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One of the accused Harnek Singh in police custody on Thursday.
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A trial court in Jaipur on Thursday convicted Harnek Singh in the 22-year-old of Rajendra Mirdha kidnapping case. Harnek has been convicted of kidnapping, illegal possession of weapons, wrongful confinement of Mirdha and seeking release of Devendra Singh Bhullar of Khalistan Liberation Force.

The ADJ3 has held Harnek guilty under Sections 364A, 365, 343, 346, 201 and 120B. The sentence will be pronounced on Friday.

Rajendra Mirdha, the son of senior Congress leader Ram Niwas Mirdha, was kidnapped on 17 February 1995 from C-Scheme area of the city where he had gone for a morning walk. The motive of the kidnapping was to exert pressure on the then Narsimha Rao government to seek the release of Devendra Singh Bhullar of Khalistan Liberation Force.

Acting on the information of a milkman, Mirdha was rescued by the Rajasthan Police on 26 February 1995 from a house in Malviya Nagar. One of the kidnappers Navneet Singh Kandia was killed in a shootout while Mirdha was being rescued. Total three cases were registered in the matter; in Ashok Nagar, Malviya Nagar and a third case of under Explosives Act and Arms Act.

Four persons- Navneet Singh Kandia, Daya Singh Lahoriya, his wife Kamaljeet Kaur and Harnek Singh- were accused in the case. Kandia was killed in the shootout that took place between the police and the kidnappers. The rest had managed to escape. Lahoriya and his wife were extradited from the US in 1997 through the Interpol. They were later sentenced to life imprisonment.

Harnek was arrested in Punjab in 2004 and later brought to Rajasthan in 2007.

A K Jain, counsel for Harnek, says “He has been in custody for 13 years. Situation has changed  in Punjab. He was not guilty of terrorist activities, and should be given least punishment.”

Earlier, Jain had moved High Court to seek bail for Harnek. In May 2017 the court dismissed the bail plea but directed for speedy dispensation of the case.

Timeline

Rajendra Mirdha kidnapped on Feb 17, ’95 from C-scheme
Reason being  the release of Devendra Singh Bhullar of Khalistan Liberation Force
Mirdha rescued by Raj Police on Feb 26 February, ’95
1 among 4 kidnappers killed in shootout
3 cases registered under Explosives Act and Arms Act
Others escaped, but Daya Singh extradited through Interpol in ’97
Singh sentenced to life imprisonment
1 accused Harnek held in Punjab & brought to Raj in ’07
Harnek convicted on October 5, 2017

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