PTC Web Desk: Social media influencer Bhana Sidhu was released from Punjab’s Malerkotla jail on Monday. Earlier in the day, Bhana Sidhu got bail in Mohali after being booked under Section 9 of the Indian Penal Code at Phase 1 police station in Mohali.
The social media influencer had also faced legal action in Patiala Jail, where he was produced under production warrants and subsequently arrested on charges related to coercive recovery and intimidating threats filed by the immigration company owner in Mohali.
Earlier, he was set to be released on bail but faced another arrest on January 21. The arrest was linked to a snatching case lodged against him last month, sparking allegations of political targeting due to his criticism of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government.
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Initial Arrest on Extortion Charges
Bhana Singh Sidhu, also known as Kaka Sidhu, had initially been arrested in connection with an extortion case. The charges were related to allegations of blackmailing a woman who operates a travel agency in Ludhiana’s Model Town area, demanding Rs 10,000 from her. Despite being on the verge of release on bail, Bhana Singh Sidhu was taken into custody again by the Punjab Police in connection with a snatching case from the previous year.
Snatching Case and Allegations of False Implications
In the recent snatching case, the Patiala Sadar police booked Sidhu on charges including theft, following a complaint by a Patiala resident named Tejpreet. Tejpreet alleged that, on December 21, 2023, he was attacked by individuals in a car who snatched his gold chain, identifying Sidhu among the assailants. Sidhu’s close associate, gangster-turned-activist Lakha Sidhana, claimed that Bhana Sidhu has been falsely implicated due to his outspoken criticism of the Chief Minister of Punjab and his government.
FIR against social media influencers’s family members, Lakha Sidhana
On February 8, a case was registered against Bhana Sidhu’s father, brother Amana Sidhu, two sisters, and Lakha Sidhana at the Dhanaula police station, Barnala. The charges include an attack on police officials deployed for government duty and damage to public property at the Badbar toll plaza, among several other offenses.
On February 3, several youths, accompanied by certain farmer leaders, staged a protest on the national highway close to the Punjab CM’s residence in Sangrur. The demonstration concluded following a written commitment from the Punjab Government to address the concerns regarding FIRs lodged against Bhana Sidhu.
