M A I N   N E W S

Johar booked, acquitted within one day
Jupinderjit Singh
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, February 9
An alleged faux pas by the city police put Education Minister and Congress candidate from Ludhiana West, Mr Harnam Dass Johar, in a spot when he was shown booked in a FIR lodged at the Haibowal police station. The police claimed in the evening that he was wrongly booked.

SAD leaders are crying foul at the change of stand of the police. They alleged that the police had backtracked under the pressure of the Congress government.

The FIR and the daily crime report of the police stated him as the main accused, along with one Gurinder Singh, for illegally occupying improvement trust land at Maharishi Balmiki Nagar and installing tubewells there. They were also also charged with manhandling administration officials, who tried to stop them.

However, SP City Rakesh Aggarwal said Mr Johar was not an accused and his name was included inadvertently by the munshi of the Haibowal police station. He said the complaint made by Mr Iqbal Singh Gill of the SAD had mentioned Mr Johar’s name.

However, an inquiry conducted by district Markfed chief at the direction of the Election Commission had not recommended action against Mr Johar.