BJP, Akali leaders meet Doda in court, draw flak

Raj Sadosh

Abohar, January 18

BJP candidate from Abohar constituency Arun Narang along with district president Vishnu Bhagwan Delu reportedly met liquor baron and Bhim Tank murder case accused Shiv Lal Doda in the district courts complex at Fazilka today.

The pictures that have gone viral on the social media showed Narang and Delu interacting with Doda who had on January 13 filed nominations from Abohar as an Independent in the presence of SAD circle president Ashok Ahuja. Doda had contested the 2012 election also and got 45,000 votes as Independent.

BJP leaders had earlier told the media that they would request Doda to withdraw from the electoral battle.

Arorvansh Sabha leaders having allegiance with the BJP had also tried to meet Doda in the sub-divisional complex on January 13, but could not succeed due to fool-proof security ring.

They, however, put a letter on the social media requesting Doda to support Narang instead of contesting as an Independent for the sake of the Arora community.

Taking strong objection to today’s political developments during the trial of the murder case, slain Dalit youth Bhim Tank’s mother Kaushalya Devi has lodged a complaint with the state Chief Electoral Officer, Fazilka Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Electoral Officer and the SDM-cum-Returning Officer, Abohar.

In the complaint lodged through her senior counsel Surinderpal Singh Tinna, Kaushalya Devi said more than 20 political activists, who were holding meeting with Doda, were arrested when the district administration raided the Fazilka sub-jail on January 5 under Sections 177, 188, 448, 120-B of the IPC and Sections 42 and 54 of the Prison Act and Doda was also named as an accused later in the case.

She said Ashok Ahuja, SAD Abohar halqa incharge, was among those arrayed as an accused. Thereafter, Doda filed his nominations papers from Abohar.

“Today when I went to the court of the Additional Sessions Judge, Fazilka, to tender my evidence, I saw Ahuja and Avinash Doda (Shiv Lal’s nephew) along with other co-accused in the FIR dated January 5 holding meetings with Doda under the shelter of the Punjab Police and various other leaders of the Abohar constituency,” she said. To substantiate this she has also attached photographs.

Stating that the pictures depict the intention of the accused, she has requested that a strict action be taken against Doda, Ahuja and other political leaders.