Arrest of MP’s brother: Bid to defame family, says Amritpal Singh’s father

PK Jaiswar

Amritsar, July 12

Tarsem Singh, father of radical MP Amritpal Singh, has termed the arrest of his elder son Harpreet Singh, alias Happy, an attempt to defame his family, which, he says, has been fighting against the drug menace in Punjab.

Harpreet and two others were arrested by the Phillaur police after drugs were allegedly seized from them. Harpreet and Lovepreet Singh of Cheema Bath village in Beas were held with 4 gm ICE. Following their interrogation, the police arrested Sandeep Arora of Ludhiana, who had allegedly given them the drugs.

“It is part of a larger conspiracy to defame the family,” Tarsem Singh alleged, adding that their fight against drugs was troubling the government. “Some people haven’t been able to digest the win of Amritpal and Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa from Khadoor Sahib and Faridkot Lok Sabha constituencies,” Tarsem said.

“The government has all the means to defame anyone, whenever it wants to. It has failed to nail the big fish,” he said, alleging that they (the police and the government) were working under the influence of drug cartels.

He said the family came to know about Harpreet’s arrest only through the media and the police did not inform them about it. He said Harpreet left the house yesterday and after sometime, his mobile was found switdhed off. The family contacted his friends, but failed to get any information about his whereabouts . He was to participate in a protest at Baghapurana over “Bandi Singhs”.

Amritpal’s uncle Sukhchain Singh, who came to Phillaur, alleged that he could not meet Harpreet.

He alleged, “We were shocked when we learnt that Harpreet was arrested on charges of drug peddling. We have always fought the drug menace. Our family is being targeted. We had gone to the police station, but were asked to go to the court, where we merely got a few seconds to meet Harpreet. He was then taken away in a car.”

(With inputs from Jalandhar)