SYL row: Abhay Chautala, 72 other INLD activists released from jail

Patiala: INLD leader Abhay Chautala along with 72 party activists, who were arrested last week for violating prohibitory orders over the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue, were on Monday released from the central jail here.

The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader and the party activists were arrested last Thursday near Shambhu barrier at Haryana-Punjab border for breaching CrPC section 144 and trying to move into Punjab in a bid to dig the SYL canal.

The police moved an application in the court of Rajpura Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) seeking withdrawal of a case under IPC sections 107 (abetment of a thing) and 152 (Assaulting or obstructing public servant when suppressing riot, etc) for the release of INLD activists.

Granting the police request, SDM Harpreet Singh Sudan signed the released orders of the INLD activists.

Upon their release, the party activists, who were kept in three barracks separate from other inmates, were taken in three police vehicles from the jail to Chandigarh, police said.

Earlier, Rajpura SDM had sent 73 INLD activists, including two party MPs, 18 sitting MLAs to judicial custody till February 27.

The SYL canal issue refers to water sharing dispute between Punjab and Haryana, in which the Supreme Court recently held that it was unconstitutional for the Punjab state government to terminate a water sharing agreement with other states.