Hours after resignation, Mehatpur SHO withdraws it; SAD calls it ‘cover-up’

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar/Chandigarh, May 4  

Hours after Mehatpur SHO filed his resignation, a Punjab Police spokesperson said it has been withdrawn as he wrote it under stress owing to family issues. 

The spokesperson said that he may go on a leave.  

He said that they would speak with the Election Commission and seek their directions on the case.

“The FIR is valid. It will stay,” said the police spokesperson.

Earlier on Friday morning, Parminder Singh Bajwa, had registered an FIR against Congress Shahkot candidate Hardev S Laddi Sherowalia and three others for their alleged involvement in illegal mining.

Soon after, he had resigned and left his office at 9.45 am. 

He had addressed the resignation to SSP (Rural) Gurpreet Bhullar, which read, “Respected sir, I know you are under pressure of sitting government. Please accept my resignation or count me absent (sic) from today 4-5-2018 at 9.45 am. Jai Hind Jai Ho, Wageuru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh, Yours obediently, Parminder Bajwa.”

The SHO was transferred to Mehatpur police station falling under Jalandhar rural police two days back on the orders of the Election Commission of India.

Meanwhile, the Akalis called it “a cover up”.  SAD spokesperson Daljeet Cheema said: “They won't let the FIR go and will lodge a complaint with the ECI.”

The police version came in the evening as SSP Jalandhar Rural Gurpreet Singh Bhullar held a press conference and said the SHO committed a faux pas by lodging an FIR.

“The ECI orders were only to look into the complaint and not register an FIR. Even the 24-hour time period to process the complaint would have been over in the evening today but the SHO seemed to be in some kind of a hurry.

“I have not got his resignation copy or its withdrawal. I do not know how it came on social media and who wrote it. He has just sought a three-day leave since he said that he was suffering from high BP. We have granted him a two-day leave. I have ordered an inquiry into his indiscipline with SP (D) Balkar Singh. Regarding the illegal mining complaint, DSP Shahkot Dilbagh Singh will do the inquiry,” he said refusing to give any timeframe of either of the two inquiries.