MLA Simarjeet Bains booked for forced entry at Passport Sewa Kendra

Jupinderjit Singh 

Tribune News Service 

Chandigarh, April 24

Ludhiana police officials have ordered registration of an FIR against Lok Insaf Party (LIP) MLA Simarjeet Singh Bains for alleged forced entry, videography and brandishing weapons on Tuesday at the Passport Sewa Kendra at Akashdeep complex Ludhiana.

Assistant Passport Officer Yashpal filed a complaint with the Ludhiana police late in the evening and accused the MLA of entering the office and manhandling the security staff.

The complainant said passport applicants panicked and the officials had a tough time controlling the situation.

A Punjab Government spokesperson said legal opinion on the complaint recommended registration of FIR against the MLA for criminal intimidation, trespassing and obstructing a government officer from discharge of his duty. 

Ludhiana police Commissioner IG Sukhchain Gill said an inquiry has been initiated into the complaint, “We have taken action as per the law,” he said.

The order of registration of FIR was cleared by the police headquarters after taking approval from Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, sources said.

While Bains could not be contacted, sources close to him said he had gone to the Sewa Kendra after receiving complaints that officials were harassing the applicants. 

The police were also yet to record the statement of the MLA regarding the complaint.

Only yesterday, the MLA had accused DGP Punjab Suresh Arora of not being accessible to the MLAs of the opposition parties. 

Bains had made a complaint to the Speaker of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha that he had tried in vain to contact the DGP since April 11. A police spokesperson said the DGP was out of station mostly in last few days.

The MLA had also released an audio recording of a conversation between a police inspector who had allegedly taken bribe of Rs 60,000 from sand miners.