Ex-sarpanch’s son shot dead, Akalis hold protest

Ravi Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Dera Baba Nanak, January 19

Six assailants allegedly shot dead Rachpal Singh, son of former SAD Sarpanch Gurdeep Singh, at Padde village here.

The police have registered a case under Sections 302, 148, 149 IPC and Arms Act against Sukhdev Singh, Lali, Balraj Singh, Harjeet Singh, Sanjampreet Singh and Jasbir Singh.

Local Akali workers have alleged that a Cabinet minister of the area was shielding the accused.

Scores of villagers, led by Sukhjinder Singh Sonu Langah, son of former minister Sucha Singh Langah, held a protest at the Gandhi chowk area in Batala where slogans were raised against the police. Traffic remained blocked for nearly two hours at the protesters placed the body in the middle of the road, demanding immediate arrest of the accused.

Local MLA and Cabinet minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa denied the charge that he was pressuring the police to favour the accused. “The Langah family is in the habit of blaming me whenever something goes wrong. On the contrary, I have spoken to senior officers, including SSP Opinderjit Singh Ghuman, to ensure unbiased action,” he said.

SAD workers alleged that after the panchayat elections, the police were acting in a selective manner in returning weapons. “The police are under instructions to return the firearms of people owing loyalty to the Congress, while Akalis are not getting their weapons back,” said Sonu Langah.

To this, Randhawa said Sonu should prove his charge or refrain from making such frivolous statements. “I question the locus standi of Langah. His family stands ostracised and hence he has no right to call himself an Akali,” the minister claimed.