Abducted independent candidate released

Sangrur, Jan 26 (UNI) An independent candidate contesting from the prestigious Lehra Gagga assembly constituency, who was abducted yesterday, was released late last night.

The candidate Labh Singh, a resident of Chandumajra village was released at Rajpura town of Patiala district by his abductors, Moonak DSP Satpal Bhangu said today.

The candidate was kidnapped by five youths from outside the sub divisional complex at Moonak after he had filed his nomination papers.

Two of the five abductors identified as Avtar Singh and Kawaljit Singh had been arrested by the police yesterday soon after the incident. The remaining three are still at large.

Refusing to give any further details, the DSP said the candidate after his release informed the police. He said that investigations were still in progess.

The police had yesterday registered a case on the statement of Avtar Singh, son of the kidnapped candidate. The case was registered under sections 364, 148 and 149 of the IPC against Harvinder Singh, nephew of Mr Prem Singh Chandumajra, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) candidate from Lehra Gagga. The others named in the FIR are Kawaljit Singh a resident of Moonak, Avtar Singh of Hamirgarh, Money from Patiala and Preet Mohinder.

Avtar Singh, the son of the candidate in his statement to the police alleged that his father had been kidnapped by the supporters of the SAD nominee.

Besides Mr Chandumajra, the other prominent candidate from Lehra Gagga is Deputy Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal of the Congress. Mr Chandumajra, a close confidant of former Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief the late Gurcharan Singh Tohra had recently quit the Akali Dal (Longowal) and joined the SAD headed by former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal.

UNI