Panchayat polls: Cop assaulted, rival group intimidated over support to candidate

A police constable was thrashed by several persons in Bhindi Saida area after the panchayat elections when he along with the polling staff was leaving in a bus.

Among those booked were a woman Sarabjit Kaur, Bhola Singh, Puran Singh and two unknown persons. They were booked on charges of assaulting and obstructing a public servant from discharging his duty.

Senior constable Jagjit Singh said that said he was posted in the intelligence wing of Punjab Police and was deputed at Khassupura village in Rajasansi for elections. He said he was deputed at polling booth number 82. He said after the counting of votes, he along with the polling staff had taken the bus to return when the defeated candidate along with his supporters attacked them. He alleged that the accused also snatched his purse that contained cash and other important documents.

The police have registered a case while the accused are absconding.

Meanwhile, the Tarsikka police have booked nine persons on the charge of attempt to murder and criminal intimidation after they attacked another group of persons following a dispute over panchayat polls.

Those booked included Akashdeep Singh, Harpinder Singh, Balbir Singh, Angrej Singh, Jobanjit Singh, Balraj Singh, Jagroop Singh, Yudhbir Singh and Lovepreet Singh, all residents of Dehriwal village.

The complainant Davinder Singh of the same village told the police that he along with his nephew Akashdeep Singh was standing outside the ground of government school in the village on the eve of panchayat elections when the accused Angrej Singh challenged them, saying he would teach them (complainant) a lesson for supporting their rival candidate Parminder Singh who was a candidate for the post of Sarpanch. They were attacked with sharp-edged weapons, leaving them injured.