Suchan PACS chief accused of abducting director before poll

In a dramatic turn of events in Sirsa, Atish Kumar, president of the Suchan Multipurpose Primary Agricultural Cooperative Society (PACS), has been accused of abducting one of the society's directors, Chanderbhan, just days before the election to the posts of chairman and vice-chairman.

Chanderbhan, a resident of Sherpura village and a director in Suchan PACS, alleged that he was abducted on November 8, five days before the elections scheduled for November 13.

He claimed that Atish Kumar, a resident of Kanwarpura village and the PACS president, called him in the evening, requesting a meeting near his house. Atish arrived in a car accompanied by a friend and offered Chanderbhan a drink during the meeting. Chanderbhan alleged the drink was laced with sedatives, causing him to lose consciousness.

When Chanderbhan regained consciousness, he found himself in Suchangarh, Rajasthan. He stated that his phone was taken away by two men who held him captive. Over the next two days, he was moved to different locations, including a hotel in Taranagar and a field. During this time, Chanderbhan was forced to call his family twice, falsely assuring them of his safety. Despite attempting to escape, he was recaptured each time.

On November 13, the day of the poll, Chanderbhan was released around 4 pm near Bajekan intersection in Sirsa. He immediately lodged a complaint at Ding police station.

The police began an investigation and summoned Atish Kumar for questioning on November 19 and again on November 22. However, Atish failed to appear on both occasions.

The police traced his phone records, which revealed his presence in Rajasthan and Sirsa during the alleged abduction. Subsequently, an FIR was filed against Atish Kumar under multiple Sections, including abduction and criminal intimidation.

Reacting to the allegations, Atish Kumar, who won the PACS presidency as a BJP candidate with a landslide victory of 253 votes, vehemently denied the charges. Talking with The Tribune, he described the case as a politically motivated conspiracy. He pointed out that the Suchan PACS presidency had historically been held by members of the INLD. However, his victory, which he claimed broke the INLD's monopoly, allegedly triggered this false complaint.

Atish stated that he was attending a family function in Rajasthan at the time and plans to meet Sirsa SP to present his side of the story. He criticised the police for acting under pressure and registering the FIR despite his request for more time to join the investigation.

He also questioned the timing of the complaint, highlighting that the elections were held on November 13, but Chanderbhan filed the complaint only on November 18, suggesting ulterior motive.

Before Atish Kumar’s tenure, the PACS presidency was held by Bhagwan Singh Kotli, the district youth leader of the INLD.