Sarhali police finally book AAP sarpanch for killing KMSC leader

The Sarhali police, giving in to pressure built by the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC), Punjab, booked Avtar Singh Billa, AAP leader and sarpanch of Sheron village for mrudering Jaspal Singh. a KMSC leader. He was shot at and injured in a firing incident on December 10 and succumbed to injuries yesterday.

Hundreds of KMSC activists gheraoed the Sarhali police station on Sunday, protesting against the failure of the police to book Avtar Singh Billa for killing Jaspal Singh, who was the main accused, but the police registered a case against the deceased and his other associates in the firing incident. The KMSC had been expressing its resentment ever since the incident.

Satnam Singh Manochahal, Harjinder Singh Shakri and Fateh Singh Piddi, president, general secretary and treasurer, respectively, of the district branch of the KMSC, were among those who addressed activists who gheraoed the Sarhali police station today.

The KMSC leaders warned that the gherao of the police station would continue indefinitely till justice was ensured to the family. The leaders, in their respective speeches, condemned the police for its alleged partial working, just to appease the ruling AAP for its selfish ends. The leaders also said that the district police had failed to maintain law and order in the border district where gangsters were having a free run and collecting ransom from well off persons to create terror.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Kawaljit Singh Aulakh came to meet KMSC activists and handed over a photocopy of the FIR registered under Section 103 (killing) of the BNS against AAP leader Avtar Singh Billa following which the gherao was lifted and the crowd pacified.