Punjab panchayat poll violence: BJP alleges house of its candidate for Sarpanch post in Khanpur vandalised

BJP leader Nimisha Mehta has alleged that the Hoshiarpur police, had on Wednesday, vandalised the house of Subedar Avtar Singh, resident of village Khanpur, a day after the panchayat polls.

Avtar Singh's wife Kulwinder Kaur had come in third in the elections for the post of sarpanch held at the Khanpur village on Tuesday. The sarpanch election had been won by Gurjit Kaur.

Hoshiarpur police has rubbished these allegations stating that routine raids are being carried out at the village to look for culprits of a poll related incident which took place on Tuesday night.

Notably, shots were fired late on Tuesday evening, at the Khanpur village by the police when people protested against the election result and pelted stones on the vehicles of SDM and the police. A group that had lost the election of sarpanch protested against the election results. Villagers had also forcibly stopped the polling party and didn’t allow them to leave.

The police had registered an FIR against 8 people including former sarpanch of village Ashok Kumar (whose wife came in second in election for sarpanch) along with six other people by name and one unidentified person.

In video shared on FB on Wednesday night, Nimisha alleged, "Several vehicles of the Hoshiarpur police entered the Khanpur village on Wednesday. The car of the candidate on third number (Subedar Avtar Singh) was vandalised, Rs 3 lakh in cash and a gold chain was also missing from his house. What is happening during the AAP tenure is condemnable. Whether voting at village was fair or not. But if people are being traumatised and harassed, we will not allow that to happen."

Speaking to The Tribune, Subedar Avtar Singh alleged, "After some people raised questions on counting yesterday, I along with other senior villagers had recounted votes and there was a gap of 18 votes which should either have been rejected or were polled for the second party (the candidate who stood second is Kulwinder Kaur, wife of former sarpanch Ashok Kumar). Yet, the same candidate would have won."

Avtar alleged, "Gurjit Kaur (who has won as sarpanch) was earlier being chosen by unanimous vote without asking some villagers. Mine and Ashok's family opposed the same. While I was out on Wednesday afternoon, five police vehicles came to the village and police personnel vandalised our house, overturning things and mattresses. Calls to none of the officials brought help. Rs 3 lakh and a 2.5 tola gold chain kept in one of our almirahs is also missing."

DSP Garhshankar, Jaspreet Singh, said, "Raids at the village were conducted to look out for the culprits who have been nominated by the police in the FIR and are currently absconding. The claims that any vandalisation or theft took place are absolutely rubbish. The villagers attacked and obstructed police and administration yesterday for which routine inspections and raids are taking place at the village."

The DSP added, "Other than that, Khanpur is not a village of interest to the police. The action being done, is just routine inspection and raids in the poll violence case."