Ex-patwari approaches Takht against Sukhbir, ministers

Former Sikh ministers have been making a beeline to Akal Takht to submit their “reply” for being part of the Cabinet which took contentious decisions during the SAD-BJP government from 2007-2017. To add to their woes, common people have also started approaching the Takht Jathedar with complaints of irregularities committed by the same council of ministers and SAD chief Sukhbir Badal, who was home minister then.

One Mohan Singh Bhedpura, who retired last year from the Revenue Department, has urged the Jathedar to take note ofthe “injustice” meted out to him by the SAD government which, he said, had chosen to turn a blind eye to his situation.

He said he single-handedly fought a legal battle against the top cops known for committing excesses during the days of terrorism. He added that the council of ministers patronised these tainted cops, promoting them and extending their services.

He disclosed that he was implicated in a frivolous case on the instance of the then SSP (Vigilance), Patiala, as he had asked him to pay Rs 20 fee for getting a “jamabandi” (land record) in 2009.

“Later, I was booked in a false paddy misappropriation case. In the police custody, my turban was tossed, I was stripped of my clothes and ‘kakkars’. It was all videographed. The SSP from whom I had charged the government fee used to say with pride that he had killed hundreds of Sikh youths,” he said.

“A former IAS officer had held then Patiala SSP, Jalandhar SSP and Moga SP guilty of abusing their position by implicating me in a false case and torturing me in illegal custody,” said Bhedpura, adding that as these cops had committed desecration of “kakkars”, he had approached Akal Takht.

The five high priests had asked the SGPC to take up the issue with the government to initiate legal action against these cops, but no justice had been delivered so far, he stated. He claimed that he had brought the matter into the notice of then CM Parkash Singh Badal.