Congress colleagues, former rivals: Bains gets 1 year in jail for defaming Mohindra

Patiala: A Patiala court on Monday sentenced former MLA Simarjit Singh Bains to one year’s rigorous imprisonment for criminal defamation over allegations of corruption against former Punjab health minister Brahm Mohindra, following an eight-year legal battle.Chief judicial magistrate Ekta Sahota convicted Bains under Section 500 of the IPC, holding that he had failed to substantiate his allegations against Mohindra, now his Congress colleague. Bains, who headed the Lok Insaaf Party before merging it into the Congress ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, had accused Mohindra of secretly owning a pharmaceutical firm and running a “medicines mafia” that coerced de-addiction centres into buying drugs from it.He had also alleged that Mohindra used officials to threaten nearly 80 private rehabilitation centres with licence cancellations and manipulated medicine tender conditions to favour multinational companies.Mohindra, then health and family welfare minister, had challenged Bains to provide evidence or apologise before initiating criminal proceedings in August 2018.The court said Bains had produced no evidence to support his corruption allegations or establish that he had acted in good faith and in the public interest. It held that freedom of speech could not override another person’s right to reputation and dignity.During the trial, 23 witnesses were examined, including drug licensing officials, health department administrators, cybercrime personnel and media record-keepers. Records showed the pharmaceutical firm had no commercial or financial links with Mohindra.Bains’s counsel argued that he had acted as a political whistleblower and challenged the admissibility of electronic evidence. The court rejected the arguments.Bains sought leniency, citing his role as his family’s sole breadwinner and the prolonged trial. The court said the seriousness of the allegations warranted the sentence. His bail and surety bonds will remain valid until the statutory period for filing an appeal or revision expires.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Chandigarh | Silver Rate in Chandigarh | Bank Holidays in Chandigarh | Public Holidays in Chandigarh | Chandigarh AQI | Weather in Chandigarh | Petrol Price in Chandigarh | Diesel Price in Chandigarh | CNG Price in Chandigarh | LPG Price in ChandigarhStay updated with the latest Chandigarh news. Download the TOI App.