SAD complains to EC against Kapurthala SSP

Kapurthala, Feb 23 (UNI) Former Transport Minister and SAD candidate from Kapurthala Candidate Raghbir Singh, in a complaint to the Election Commission, today demanded strict action against SSP Rajiv Ahir alleging that he had removed the names of two sons of Jalandhar Congress MP Rana Gurjit Singh from the two criminal cases, including attempt to murder, without holding any proper inquiry.

Addressing a press conference here today, Raghbir Singh alleged that the SSP, under pressure from Rana Gurjit Singh, removed the names Rana Inder Partap Singh and Veer Partap Singh without holding any proper inquiry in both the cases.

He alleged that the inquiry officer neither visited the village Sidhwan Dona where Rana Inder Partap Singh along with Lovely, nephew of Rana and others opened fired at the house of former village Sarpanch Dilwinder Singh Sidhu on the night of February 12, nor summoned the complainant and the witnesses.

He further alleged that Kapurthala police, after removing the names of both the sons from the FIRs, put up the challan in the court in a haste, giving no option for reinvestigation of the case.

He demanded an inquiry by the Commission to look into the lapses in the inquiry report and action against the SSP for allegedly playing in the hands of Rana Gurjit Singh.

The complainant Dilwinder Singh Sidhu, who was also present in the press conference said that he would lodge a criminal complaint against the accused who were spared by the police allegedly under political pressure.

He told media persons that Rana Inder Partap fired at him and he had a miraculous escape. The complainant had shown the bullet marks on his gate to the media persons in a press conference convened at his house on February 14.

Raghbir Singh alleged that SSP was so much under pressure from Rana Gurjit Singh on the night of February 12 that he first refused to register the case against the accused. The case was registered at the intervention of Sukhbir Singh Badal, who telephoned him in the midnight. He alleged that section 307 IPC was also removed from the FIR to help the other accused to obtain the bail in the said case.

Rana's second son Veer Partap Singh was booked by the city police on the same night for attacking the BSP (A) candidate Jia Lal Nahar and his supporters.

On the other hand, SSP Rajiv Ahir when contacted said that names of both the sons of Rana Gurjit Sigh were removed after proper inquiry conducted by city DSP Amrik Singh Powar. He said the DSP visited the village Sidhwan Dona and took the statement of complainant in the inquiry.

Terming all the allegations levelled by SAD candidate as ''baseless'', he said section 307 was removed as there were no sufficient grounds for registering the case under this section.

There was no change in the FIR lodged against Rana's nephew Lovely and eight others for allegedly issuing threats to SAD supporters on the eve of polling day.

Regarding the FIR registered against Rana Veer Partap Singh, the SSP said he was present there when the incident of attack on Jia lal Nahar took palce but he was not involved in the attack.

UNI