NRI Baljinder Singh Hussainpuri held for forging documents for filing nomination papers from Nawanshahr

Tribune News Service

Deepkamal Kaur

Nawanshahr, February 3

The Nawanshahr police have arrested NRI Baljinder Singh Hussainpuri for allegedly procuring and submitting a forged document for filing his nomination papers as a BSP candidate from Nawanshahr Assembly seat. An FIR was lodged against him under Sections 420, 465, 467, 468, 471 and 177 of the IPC and 125A of the Representation of People's Act.

After having submitted all documents against Barjinder Hussainpuri, BSP state leadership chose to enter into a compromise with him. Hours before the RO was to pronounce the orders, both sides held a meeting at Hotel Silver Leaf on Chandigarh Road and this was done to avoid a police case against either side for forgery and to dump the matter

The recommendation for lodging of FIR was made against him by the Returning Officer while deciding a tricky case of double nomination filed by Bahujan Samaj Party from Nawanshahr Assembly seat. Returning Officer-cum-SDM Nawanshahr Barjinder Singh Dhillon today accepted the papers of officially declared candidate Nachhatar Pal Singh. The papers of Barjinder S Hussainpuri, who too claimed to possess BSP ticket, were declared rejected.

The biggest ground for lodging of the FIR in the matter is that national president of BSP Mayawati has written to the RO under her signed and stamped letter head that the form-B, which is in the name of Barjinder Singh, has neither been issued by her nor does it bears her signatures.

She has clearly spelt out that the document is forged and fake. She had yesterday already clarified that form ‘A’ and ‘B’ issued to Nachhatar Pal are under her signatures and except this no other form had been issued to any other person in the constituency. She had also written that Nachhatar Pal should be considered as the party’s authorised candidate.

BSP Punjab affairs in-charge Randhir Singh Benipal, too, had written to the RO that Hussainpuri’s document had not been issued by the party. He had further clarified that he is not even a member of the party and his name is also not mentioned in the list of the members of the party. The same had been corroborated by party’s state president Jasvir Garhi through an affidavit with recommendation that “action may kindly be taken against him as per law”.

Interestingly, after having submitted all documents against Barjinder Hussainpuri, BSP state leadership chose to enter into a compromise with him. Hours before the RO was to pronounce the orders on Thursday, both sides held a meeting at Hotel Silver Leaf on Chandigarh Road. An attempt was made so that no police case gets lodged against either side over forgery and the matter gets dumped. Garhi, who had till yesterday said, “When currency can be forged in India, forging of an election form is no big deal,” today signed a letter of compromise with Hussainpuri saying that he was taking back all derogatory words that he had spelt out against him.

After the compromise, Hussainpuri and Garhi had entered the RO’s office together. The drama went to the extent that both sides after coming out of the RO’s office garlanded each other. Both candidates who were levelling allegations against one another were seen exchanging sweets and were protecting one another.

Even Hussainpuri, who had released a video saying that he had probably been cheated, refused to go on record to share as to who gave him the party’s authority letter. He just mentioned that it was someone from the BSP office. Having remained incommunicado for two days after filing papers on February 1 afternoon and faced rejection today, he too seemed unperturbed.

Hussainpuri’s lawyer Parminder Vig said: “The RO declared the papers of my client on technical ground as Barjinder’s proposer, Baljinder Singh, had refused to identify his signature on form 2b of nomination.” The ground for rejection seemed to have been played down especially because of the fact that the proposer signs the documents in the office of the RO and the whole process is videographed. To this, the RO said: “My job is to accept and reject the papers. Signatures of proposer happen before they reach my desk.”

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