M A I N   N E W S

Criminal case against Ropar activist dropped
Tribune News Service

Ropar, April 5
Finding no evidence, the district police have dropped a criminal case of attempt to murder registered against RTI activist Dinesh Chadha here today. Chadha, a local advocate who had been vocal against illegal mining and ‘gunda’ tax, was booked by the police on a complaint by an employee of a mining contractor on March 21 under Sections 323, 307, 506, 148, 149 and 120B.

The case against Chadha had sparked off protests in different parts of the district and lawyers at Ropar and Anandpur Sahib had been on strike since Tuesday demanding the cancellation of the case against Chadha. Ropar SSP GS Toor confirmed that the case against Chadha had been dropped.

He, however, refused to comment on the issue. Sources said that the police, in their preliminary investigation, did not find any evidence regarding Chadha’s involvement in the attack on complainant Amarjit Singh. They have also failed to nab any of the eight accused who allegedly attacked him.

Chadha recently exposed the sand mafia that had been involved in charging ‘gunda’ tax from the drivers of trucks and tippers carrying sand and gravel in the Nurpur Bedi area. Later, he -- in a letter to the Election Commission -- had expressed a threat to his life from the sand mafia. On March 21, Amarjit Singh, an employee of a mining contractor, had alleged that eight persons -- at the behest of Dinesh Chadha -- had attacked him, causing serious injuries.

Murder bid charges

• RTI activist Dinesh Chadha had recently exposed the sand mafia in the Nurpur Bedi area
• On March 21, Amarjit Singh, an employee of a mining contractor, had alleged that eight persons -- at the behest of Dinesh Chadha -- had attacked him, causing serious injuries