Mohali, Dec. 10 -- A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Mohali has rejected the bail plea of Akashdeep Singh, one of the accused in the 2020 case involving the hoisting of a Khalistan flag at the Moga deputy commissioner (DC) office. The court observed that the seriousness of the allegations and the current stage of the trial did not warrant bail. The case pertains to August 14, 2020, when slogans supporting Khalistan were found painted on the walls of DC office in Moga and a Khalistan flag was allegedly hoisted on the premises. The Punjab Police had initially registered a case under sedition and other relevant Sections before the investigation was transferred to the NIA. During bail hearing, Akashdeep Singh's counsel, advocate Jaspal Singh Manjhpur, argued that accused was not a key conspirator and that his involvement was limited to recording a video of incident. The defence contended that the maximum punishment for the offences is seven years and that Akashdeep has already spent nearly five years in judicial custody. However, the prosecution opposed the plea, asserting that the accused had links with the banned separatist organisation Sikhs for Justice (SFJ). The government counsel argued that the incident was part of a larger conspiracy to promote secessionist ideology and therefore attracted serious charges, including sedition.After hearing both sides, the special court dismissed the bail plea, noting that the gravity of the allegations and the evidence gathered thus far made it inappropriate to grant bail at this stage. The NIA has arrested four persons in connection with the case - Jaspal Singh, Inderjit Singh, Jagwinder Singh and Akashdeep Singh. Charges against them were framed by the special court in 2021, and the trial is currently underway....