From a Congress candidate to an accused in illegal mining, all in 24 hours

Deepkamal Kaur

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Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, May 4

An FIR was on Friday morning registered against Congress Shahkot candidate Hardev S Laddi Sherowalia and three others for their alleged involvement in illegal mining.

The case has been registered at Mehatpur police station falling under Jalandhar rural police.

The development has come as a major setback for the party that announced his candidature on Thursday overlooking several complaints of the sort against him.

Laddi along with contractor Surjeet Singh, Ashwinder Singh of Malsian and mining authorities have been booked under the Section 21 of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act and the Section 379 of the IPC.

FIR number 52 was registered against the four accused on the complaint of Mohan Singh, general secretary, Brick Kiln Labourers Union (CPIM), who hails from Malri village in Nakodar.

Inspector Mehatpur Parminder Singh booked the four at 4.26 am after a complaint, which filed by Mohan reached him via-District Election Officer, Returning Officer, DIG (Jalandhar Range) and SSP (Jalandhar Rural).

The SHO, who had got transferred here two days back on the orders of the Election Commission of India, has reportedly gone incommunicado.

None of the Jalandhar rural police officers responded to the matter.

SSP (Rural) Gurpreet Singh Bhullar and DSP Shahkot Dilbagh Singh did not take calls.

SHO Mehatpur’s phone was picked by another cop who said, “SHO has left phone in office and gone somewhere. We really do not know about the FIR.”

In the FIR, Parminder Singh mentioned that since election code was into effect, the complaints had to be processed within 24 hours.

The complainant wrote, “The contractor and halqa in-charge of Congress Laddi had been digging-up even the panchayat land in Kaimwala village for mining purposes on war footing. Illegal mining was also being carried out by the two in Raipur Gujjran, Gauswal, Chholia, Baloki, Burhewal, Khurlapur, Chak Bahmanian, Pipli Mehni, Umarwal Bila and Gag Dhagara villages. Digging was being carried out day and night in violation of labour rights. They were also working on an illegal quarry in Gatti Jatta village at Dharamkot, Moga.”

Speaking to The Tribune, Laddi said: "I got the news an hour back while I was returning from the Golden Temple.  I’am consulting my lawyers on this. I don't even know who the complainant is. The fact that the FIR was lodged in the wee hours itself points to the fact that the new SHO who got posted here two days back is working at the behest of Akalis. I am told that he is not in the police station today."

Meanwhile, the Akalis would gherao the SDM-cum-RO Shahkot's office in the afternoon demanding Laddi's arrest in the case. 

The Congress chose to refield its 2017 candidate Hardev Singh Laddi Sherowalia for the Shahkot Assembly byelection scheduled for May 28, despite allegations of illegal sand mining against him.

Former minister Rana Gurjit Singh and MLAs Ramanjit Sikki and Pargat Singh (Laddi’s brother-in-law) are reported to have batted for his candidature.

Laddi had lost to former Akali minister and five-time MLA Ajit Singh Kohar by 4,905 votes. Kohar died in February this year. Laddi will now contest against his son and SAD candidate Naib Singh Kohar.