Mining Dept gives clean chit to Ropar MLA assault accused

ROPAR: In a new twist to the case of attack on AAP leader and local MLA Amarjit Singh Sandoa when he had gone to check “illegal mining” on Thursday, the Ropar Mining Department in its report has said no mining norms were flouted at the spot of incident.

AAP workers protest the attack on the Ropar MLA on Friday. Tribune photo

Arun Sharma

Tribune News Service

Ropar, June 22

In a new twist to the case of attack on AAP leader and local MLA Amarjit Singh Sandoa when he had gone to check “illegal mining” on Thursday, the Ropar Mining Department in its report has said no mining norms were flouted at the spot of incident.

A four-member team of the Ropar Mining Department headed by general manager Tehal Singh Sekhon in its report has claimed that the incident happened on the merging borders of Baihara and Harsa Bela quarries.

Mining at Baihara was banned since December 2017 and no fresh digging was visible in the area, said the report. It further stated that fresh digging was found at few spots in adjoining Harsa Bela quarry only and there was no ban on mining in this quarry.

The report also claimed that the digging in Harsa Bela was also not more than the permissible limit.

Following the attack on the MLA the Ropar Additional Deputy Commissioner had asked the Mining Department to prepare a report in this regard.

The report, which virtually has given a clean chit to MLA’s assailant Ajvinder Singh as far as illegal mining is concerned, in fact has put a question mark on the move of the former who had claimed that he had gone there to stop illegal mining.

Meanwhile, another video has appeared in which Ajvinder Singh and his accomplices were seen thrashing Sandoa’s PA Jagpal Singh with wooden planks while accusing him of asking money. Jagpal can also be heard saying he was helpless. However, Jagpal denied asking money from accused Ajvinder. He said at the time of assault on him the accused were asking him that why he didn’t make them talk to the MLA on his phone and he was just explaining his helplessness in this regard.

Sandoa’s phone, however, was picked by some Gurmukh Singh, who informed that the MLA was still under treatment at the PGI and could not talk.

AAP stages dharna

Ropar: Protesting the attack on the party MLA, AAP leaders, including Leader of Opposition Sukhpal Singh Khaira and state co-president Dr Balbir Singh, staged a dharna here on Friday. Dr Balbir Singh said a dharna would be staged in Ropar on June 25. He added that the party would expose those who were “patronising” the mining mafia.