SAD leaders booked after AAP sarpanch candidate shot at in Punjab’s Fazilka
A case has been registered against Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leaders Vardev Singh Mann alias Noni Mann, his brother Nardev Singh Mann alias Bobby Mann and about 15-20 others at Jalalabad in Punjab’s Fazilka after Saturday’s incident of a shootout around the office of Block Development Officer (BDO).
Both are sons of Zora Singh Mann who was a member of the 14th Lok Sabha.
AAP supporters Mandeep Singh Brar and Rajesh Kumar were shot at after objections were raised on the nomination of Noni’s son Harpinder Singh for the sarpanch’s post in his Chak Sukhewala village.
The FIR was registered on a complaint of AAP activist Gurpreet Singh, Harpinder’s rival for the sarpanch post in Chak Sukhewala village. Gurpreet complained that a day earlier, he was allegedly threatened by Noni for contesting the election.
Later, during the scrutiny of nominations at BDO office, he raised an objection that Harpinder was in illegal possession of panchayat land on which a private office had been raised and a part of the property was used for construction of a private school that was run by the Mann family. The NOC of the school had been rejected and a case was pending in the high court.
Gurpreet added that when he came out of the office, Mann and his accomplices abused him and started pelting stones.
Meanwhile, Noni allegedly took out a revolver and started firing followed by Bobby. The miscreants fled away in two vehicles.
Both are undergoing treatment at a hospital. Brar is contesting the sarpanch election in Muhammade Wala village, also in Jalalabad.
The FIR has been registered under Sections 109, 115 (2), 351 (2), 191 (3) and 190 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 25 of the Arms Act.
Later, SSP Varinder Singh Brar and MLA Jagdeep Kamboj Goldy reached the hospital.
