M A I N   N E W S

Punjab Votes ’07
Post-Beas, heavy force ordered
Varinder Walia and 
Ashok Sethi

Beas/Amritsar, February 1
Even as the Deputy Election Commissioner (DEC), Mr R. Bhattacharya, visited Beas for first-hand information of the firing incident in Beas, Mr Sunderam Krishana, Chief Electoral Officer, Punjab, said 200 companies of para military forces would be deployed in the state to ensure free and fair elections.

Mr Bhattacharya held separate meetings with Mr Manjinder Singh Kang and Mr Jasbir Singh Dimpa — Akali and Congress candidates from Beas. While Mr Kang in his complaint presented the video CD of the Beas violence and sought Z Plus security along with a bullet-proof car till the elections, Mr Dimpa told Mr Bhattacharya that he (Mr Kang) wanted to get the election countermanded by creating a fear psychosis.

Earlier, Mr Bhattacharya reviewed poll preparations and security arrangements at a closed-door meeting with poll observers and District Election Offices of Jalandhar Division.

He directed the officials to remain impartial and that no laxity in security arrangements would be allowed.

Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Election Officer Kirandip Singh Bhullar said more than 50 per cent polling booths in the border district of Amritsar had been identified ‘sensitive’.

As many as 17 companies of para military forces would be deployed in Amritsar and Majitha police districts alone. Both, Mr Dimpa and Mr Kang complained that notorious gangsters from UP had been hired to eliminate them. Mr Dimpa said an FIR lodged against him and his two brothers was full of 'contradictions'.

While the FIR mentioned that he (Mr Dimpa) was handling a revolver during firing on Akali workers, the video CD presented by SAD candidate clearly showed a mobile phone in his hand.

The Video CD also showed AK-47 in the hands of Mr Harpinder Singh Rajan , younger brother of Mr Dimpa, while in the FIR he was mentioned handling a revolver .

The video did not show Mr Harmanbir Singh Gill, SP , Chandigarh, though he was mentioned as one of the accused in the firing incident in the FIR.

Mr Dimpa sought a judicial or CBI inquiry into the Beas incident.