The court of District and Sessions Judge Kanwaljit Singh Bajwa, Tarn Taran, on Wednesday acquitted RTI activist Manjinder Singh and his brother Pargat Singh, both residents of Bhalojla village, after hearing arguments advanced by advocates Navjot Kaur Chabba and Manuwant Singh Chabbam, counsel for the accused.
A third brother, Nirmal Singh Fauji, who was also named in the FIR, was not summoned, following submissions made by the defence.
Manjinder had been seeking information under the Right to Information Act regarding grants allocated to the Bhalojla gram panchayat and their utilisation.
The defence argued that the panchayat harboured enmity against the family, and that a false case was registered under a conspiracy in connection with the murder of a missing person.
After detailed consideration of the defence arguments and witness statements, the court acquitted the accused. The brothers had been booked under Sections 365 and 302 of the Indian Penal Code.