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Armed men seize Daleke’s farm
Tribune News Service

DALEKE (Tarn Taran), April 15 — Some armed persons took control of the farmhouse of Mr Dilbag Singh Daleke, a senior Congress leader and former Punjab Speaker. Family dispute is behind the action. The farmhouse has been taken control at behest of father-in-law of the son of Mr Daleke.

Mr Daleke, however, alleged that in-laws of his son had stormed his farmhouse at the behest of close relatives of Chief Minister, Parkash Singh Badal.

Mr Jagdish Kumar, district police chief, Tarn Taran, confirmed that in-laws of the son of Mr Daleke had taken control of his farm house. He said daughter of Mr Gurbax Singh, sarpanch of Shakkri village was married to Mr Gurdip Singh, son of Mr Daleke some years ago. The father and other family members of the sarpanch alleged that son of Mr Daleke re-married illegally in Canada.

Mr Jagdish Kumar, admitted that he had received a telegram from Mr Daleke which alleged that he was facing danger to his life. He said he had marked the telegram to the DSP for taking necessary action in this regard.

In his telegram, Mr Daleke has alleged that his farmhouse was taken control of at behest of “Kairon family”. However, Mr Gurbax Singh said that he and his relatives had not attacked the farmhouse of Mr Daleke along with armed men. He clarified that they had come here to get “due share” to the girl, who was married to son of Mr Daleke. “The elder son of Mr Daleke could claim the house and my daughter would live in the farmhouse”, said Mr Gurbax Singh.

Mrs Laxmi Kanta Chawla, a BJP MLA met Mr Parkash Singh Badal in this regard. She said, in democracy such an unsavoury incident should not happen. In the presence of Mrs Chawla, Mr Badal had asked DIG (Border Range) to look into the allegations personally.

However, the Tarn Taran police has not registered any case against anybody so far.

However, Mr Daleke alleged that Mr Surinder Singh Kairon had been supporting the in-laws of his son. Mr Daleke said he was responsible for the defeat of Mr Kairon in the Lok Sabha elections of 1996. Mr Daleke claimed that he had got a few thousand votes as Congress (Tiwari) candidate, which were needed for victory of Mr Kairon. Mr Major Singh Uboke, an Akali candidate, had won the election due to the triangular contest. This is why Mr Kairon wants to take revenge on me”, he alleged.

However, official circles and members of ‘Kairon family’ denied the allegations. They claim that in-laws of the son of Mr Daleke had genuinely seized the farm house. “This should be considered as share of daughter-in-law of Mr Daleke”.