15 hours after being named as Congress nominee, Ladi booked for illegal mining
FIR comes in early hours of Friday, SHO resigns soon after, later says, ‘I want to continue my job. Earlier message was written due to family stress’
SHAHKOT (JALANDHAR): In a setback to the Congress, police on Friday booked Hardev Singh Ladi Sherowalia on charges of illegal mining within hours of the declaration of his candidature for the Shahkot assembly bypoll, which is scheduled for May 28.
Ladi, 50, general secretary of the Punjab Congress, whose candidature was announced by the party around 1pm on Thursday, had lost the election last year to Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Ajit Singh Kohar, whose death necessitated the bypoll.
On the complaint of Mohan Singh of Malrhi village in Nakodar, a case has been registered against Ladi, contractor of Kaimvala quarry Surjit Singh and Ashwinder Singh under Section 21 of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act and Section 379 (theft) of the IPC, a non-bailable offence, at the Mehatpur police station.
Station house officer (SHO) Parminder Singh Bajwa, who was transferred here two days back on the orders of the election commission, registered the FIR at 4.26am on Friday.
In his complaint to the Punjab chief election officer, Mohan Singh, general secretary of the brick kiln labourers’ union alleged that despite the model code of conduct being in force, illegal mining was rampant on panchayat land in Kaimvala, Rahpur Gujra, Gausuwal, Chelian, Baloki, Budhewal, Khurlapur, Chak Bahmnia and Pipli villages. “Illegal mining is being carried out at the behest of Congress halqa in-charge Hardev Singh Ladi Sherowalia,” he alleged in his complaint.
Deputy commissioner-cum-district election officer Varinder Kumar Sharma forwarded the complaint to the police and asked them to process it within 24 hours.
SSP, Jalandhar rural, Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said the election commission had only asked to inquire the complaint, but the SHO registered the FIR without taking any senior police officer in the loop. “He should have consulted mining and revenue officials first. I have asked the Shahkot DSP to probe the matter,” Bhullar said. A probe has also been marked to SP investigation Balkar Singh into the SHO’s act, said Bhullar.
When contacted, Ladi said the SHO didn’t even probe the allegations levelled in the complaint before registering the FIR. “I have faith in the election commission and clear my stand before it,” he said, adding that he was consulting his lawyer.
THE SHO RESIGNED AFTER REGISTERING FIR AGAINST LADI, BUT HE CAME AROUND BY THE EVENING
SHAHKOT (JALANDHAR) : Hours after he registered an FIR for illegal sand mining against Hardev Singh Ladi Sherowalia, candidate of Punjab’s ruling party Congress for the May 28 assembly bypoll here, Mehatpur area police station house officer (SHO) Parminder Singh Bajwa tendered his resignation on Friday morning, citing “pressure”. But he came around by the evening.
The FIR against Ladi and three others, under section 21 of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act and 379 (theft) of the Indian Penal Code, was registered at 4.26 am on Friday, less than 24 hours after Ladi was announced as the candidate despite facing allegations of illegal mining. Inspector Bajwa resigned and left his office at 9.45 am. In a letter to senior superintendent of police (SSP), rural, Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, he wrote, “Respected sir, I know you are under pressure of sitting government. Please accept my resignation or count me absent from today 4-52018 at 9.45 am.” He had been transferred to Mehatpur two days ago on the orders of the Election Commission.
This resignation was released by leader of opposition Sukhpal Singh Khaira of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) at a press conference too; he said it was given to him by Bajwa’s family members who told him he was “under stress and pressure”.
Later, on social media, inspector Bajwa took a U-turn.
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Sir, I know you are under pressure of sitting government. Please accept my resignation or count me absent from today. PARMINDER SINGH BAJWA, SHO, in letter to SSP that he retracted later
“I had put a message on the social media in the morning that I will be resigning. That is not true [...] I want to continue my job. Earlier message was written due to family stress,” he wrote with the title ‘To whom it may concern’. Officials in the district police, not willing to be named, said Bajwa was anguished after he was “pulled up by senior officials” for “not taking them into the loop before registering the FIR” against Ladi.
SSP Bhullar, however, said he got to know about the “resignation” from the media as the SHO did not file any “officially”. “He asked for three days’ leave due to high blood pressure, but I have okayed it for two days. He didn’t talk about any resignation,” he claimed.