SAD rebel held in old theft case

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, February 21

A day after SAD rebel Harpreet Singh Bedi faced an FIR for misusing the names of SAD-BJP leaders, the police today arrested him in a theft case registered against him last year.

The ACP (West), Gurpreet Singh, said Bedi was nominated in a case of theft and house trespass by the Sarabha Nagar police last year. He was today arrested in the same case and he would be produced before the court tomorrow.

Sources said a case under Section 454 and 380 of the IPC was registered against some persons last year after valuables were stolen from a sealed community centre located at Bhai Randhir Singh Nagar. Sources confirmed that Bedi was then not nominated in the case. It was only when the Congress government regained power, Bedi was secretly nominated by the police and now he was arrested.

In March last year, LIT had sealed the community centre due to some illegalities. Bedi, as an Akali leader, had influence in the area. A theft took place in the sealed community centre building. The police arrested two persons who revealed that Bedi had sent them.  Yesterday, a case was registered under Section 171F (Punishment for undue influence or personation at an election), 171 G (False statement in connection with an election), IPC, against Bedi on a complaint of former SAD MLA Ranjit Singh Dhillon. As per the complainant, Bedi was given ticket by the party for contesting election from Ward No. 72. However, he was expelled by the SAD for resorting to anti-party activities. Later, the party announced support to Independent-cum-Congress rebel Ravinder Kumar.  Arrest of Bedi is being seen as political rivalry.