M A I N   N E W S

IYC chief’s arrest stayed
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 10 — The Punjab and Haryana High Court today stayed the arrest of the Indian Youth Congress President, Mr Randeep Singh Surjewala, and five other party activists till July 20 in a case of robbery, criminal intimidation and rioting registered against them on the complaint of a liquor contractor, Mr Babu Ram, by the Narwana police yesterday.

Mr Justice K.S. Kumaran, who issued the orders on an application moved by the Youth Congress men, directed them to approach the District and Sessions Judge concerned.

Later Mr Surjewala told newsmen that the case against him was a result of vindictive and “criminal intent” of the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, who had a past record of such activities.

He alleged that there was a spate of political murders during the period between 1989 to 1991 when Mr Chautala’s party was in power. The Chautala government had registered cases against several Congressmen and other politicians just to settle the Chief Minister’s personal scores.

Asserting that the Congressmen would not be cowed by such tactics, Mr Surjewala said after this incident the workers of the Youth Congress had rededicated themselves not to allow violation of sanctity of religious places either by liquor or land mafia operating in the State.

He said the Youth Congress would organise a protest rally in Narwana on July 12, against the violation of the excise policy which prohibited the sale of liquor within 150 metres of religious places.

Narrating yesterday’s incidents, Mr Surjewala said residents of Saini and Balmiki mohallas in Narwana had been protesting against the unauthorised sale of liquor by a particular contractor in front of Basant Mata temple and Balmiki Mandir for the past several days. Yesterday when he visited the site, the persons selling liquor fled away leaving the cases of liquor there.

He along with his certain supporters handed over the liquor cases to the police and filed a written complaint against the contractor. The SHO, he alleged, on directions from his senior officers refused to take any cognisance of the complaint.

Later he was told by a well-wisher in the police department while he was visiting a village that the political leadership of the state had deputed the DSP (Headquarters), Jind, to arrest him and to physically torture him in the lockup. Later the DSP would be placed under suspension and would be reinstated and given a good posting after a magisterial injury which would have been eyewash.

On the advice of his well-wishers, he said, he reached Chandigarh through Punjab before the police could set up nakas. He alleged that the police raided his house in Narwana without any search or arrest warrants. In fact the arrest warrants had been procured by the police only this afternoon.

Meanwhile, the Additional Political Secretary to the Chief Minister, Mr Dharambir Singh, has alleged that Mr Surjewala indulged in unlawful activity by himself looting the liquor vend and carrying the liquor cases. He also took the law in his own hands and beat up the persons manning the liquor vend.