5 months on, AAP leader booked for theft of tractor-trailers from Shambhu protest site

Days after recovery of tractor-trailer parts, which were allegedly stolen from the Shambhu protest site, the police have booked AAP leader Pankaj Kumar Pappu for allegedly stealing and selling the tractors-trailers belonging to farmers.

The Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) held a protest outside Pappu’s house, accusing him of stealing tyres and hooks of two tractor-trailers that went missing from the Shambhu site in March.

The incident has triggered trouble for Pappu’s wife Sujata Chawla, , who is Nabha Municipal Council chief. Seventeen out of 23 councillors have submitted a no-confidence motion against her.

On a statement of farmer leader and BKU Ekta Azad chief Jaswinder Singh Longowal, a case was registered at the Nabha Kotwali for charges related to theft of tractor-trailers, receiving stolen goods, destruction of evidence and criminal conspiracy.

SHO Sarabjit Singh Cheema confirmed that a case had been registered.

The issue of the theft of tractor trailers and state government’s failure in tracing the stolen vehicles was strongly condemned during a joint meeting of the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha and the KMM at Kisan Bhawan, Chandigarh.

Guramneet Singh Mangat of KMM, who is spearheading the campaign to trace missing tractor-trailers after the eviction of farmers from the Shambhu and Khanauri borders, had said over 22 trolleys went missing from the protest site and they suspected that more trolleys might be traced during the investigation of the case.

Pappu had on Tuesday slammed the allegations as baseless.