Cong Shahkot nominee booked
Deepkamal Kaur
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, May 4
Less than 24 hours after the Congress declared Hardev Singh Laddi Sherowalia as the party candidate for the Shahkot Assembly seat, he was booked by the Mehatpur police for alleged involvement in illegal mining after the Election Commission of India (ECI) received a complaint in this regard.
Edit:
The Punjab Government and the state police were left red-faced. Senior officials were incommunicado for most part of the day. Upbeat, the Akalis organised protests, demanding that Laddi be arrested forthwith.
The development is a big setback for Laddi’s mentor Rana Gurjit Singh, who had to resign from the Cabinet about three months ago amid reports of his alleged links with the mining mafia.
Laddi, his cousin Ashwinder Singh of Malsian and contractor Surjeet Singh have been booked under Section 21 of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act and Section 379 (theft) of the IPC. A copy of the FIR (no. 52) went viral on the social media.
Curiously, the SHO of the Mehatpur station, Inspector Parminder Singh Bajwa, who lodged the FIR at 4.26 am, left his phone in the office and went off. An hour later, a copy of his resignation, addressed to SSP Jalandhar (Rural), appeared on the social media. Then came his withdrawal letter, also on the social media, in which the SHO claimed he had quit because of “domestic stress” and had now changed his mind.
“Since the complaint came from the ECI and the election code was in place, it had to be processed within 24 hours, hence the FIR. No arrest will be made as of now as the complaint may be politically motivated. An inquiry will, however, be held,” the SHO’s letter read.
Two days ago, the ECI had received a complaint from Mohan Singh, general secretary, Brick Kiln Labourers Union (CPI-M), Malri village, Nakodar, alleging: “The contractor and Congress halqa in-charge Laddi have been excavating even the panchayat land in Kaimwala village for mining purposes. Illegal mining is being carried out by the two in Raipur Gujjran, Gauswal, Chholia, Baloki, Burhewal, Khurlapur, Chak Bahmanian, Pipli Mehni,
Umarwal Bila and Gag Dhagara villages. Digging is being carried out in violation of labour laws. They are also working on an illegal quarry in Gatti Jatta village at Dharamkot, Moga.” This complaint was sent to the Mehatpur police.
Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, SSP, Jalandhar-Rural, called it a faux pas by the SHO. “The ECI orders were only to look into the complaint and not register an FIR. The 24-hour period to process the complaint would have ended on Friday evening. But the Station House Officer seemed to have been in a hurry. I have not received his resignation or the withdrawal letter. I do not know how the letters appeared on the social media and who wrote these.
“The SHO had sought leave for three days. We have granted him two-day leave. He will face an inquiry for indiscipline. Regarding the illegal mining complaint, Shahkot Deputy Superintendent of Police Dilbagh Singh will investigate,” he said, refusing to say if the inquiries were time-bound.
Laddi, who looked shaken, said he would be consulting his lawyers. "The fact that the SHO, posted here two days ago on ECI’s orders, filed the FIR in the wee hours, shows he was working at the behest of the Akalis,” he said.
Won’t change candidate, asserts Cong
New Delhi: Ruling out the possibility of changing its candidate for the Shahkot Assembly bypoll, the Congress on Friday said Hardev Singh Laddi would continue as its nominee. On the FIR against him, a party official responded: “One, it shows how democratic our Congress-led government in Punjab is. Two, an FIR is not a proof of guilt. People can file FIRs but what’s written in there is not always the truth. It is a political battle and we believe we should fight it politically in the field.” TNS
Twists and turns since 4.26 am
- SHO of Mehatpur Inspector PS Bajwa files FIR at 4.26 am, copy goes viral on social media
- Leaves cellphone in office, disappears; an hour later, a copy of his resignation appears on social media
- His withdrawal letter too surfaces on the social media; SHO claims he had quit due to “domestic stress”
- Says he had changed his mind and that he had to process complaint from ECI within 24 hours
- SSP, Jalandhar-Rural, calls it a faux pas; SHO to face inquiry for indiscipline
