Ex-Sarpanch booked for harassing martyr's family

Chandigarh, May 4 (UNI) Taking a serious note of harassment of a martyr soldier's family, the Punjab Sainik Welfare department has registered against the erring former-Sarpanch in Ahmedgarh Police Station in Sangrur district.

The case has been registered against Akram, the former Sarpanch of Dehleej Kalan village for demanding a bribe of Rs one lakh from the martyr's family members for enabling them to get an ex-gratia of Rs two lakh and another Rs five lakh for a plot as a compensation.

The action has been taken on a complaint lodged by Ms Fatima Begum, the mother of Late Sepoy Mustakh Khan, who was killed in an Army operation against the militants in Jammu and Kashmir.

The bereaved mother had alleged that the ex-Sarpanch was not only harassing them but also attacked her family members.

The spokesman further said that Sangrur District Sainik Welfare officer personally visited the village and after finding the allegations of the affected family as true, took up the matter with the Deputy Commissioner and SSP, Sangrur to book the former-sarpanch.

He informed that the State Government had already appointed the younger brother of the martyr as Excise and Taxation Inspector, besides releasing Rs two lakh ex-gratia grant and Rs five lakh grant against a plot as the compensation.

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