High Court asked to intervene in Punjab panchayat elections over police conduct

A petition filed before the Punjab and Haryana High Court today sought immediate judicial intervention to safeguard “free and fair” zila parishad and panchayat samiti elections in Punjab, alleging systematic police-led obstruction of opposition candidates during the ongoing nomination process.

Filed as a public interest litigation by former SAD MLA Dr Daljit Singh Cheema, the petition seeks suspension of Patiala SSP Varun Sharma and registration of a CBI-monitored FIR within seven days. He claimed that a “self-probe” by the state police would be meaningless when the allegations centred around its own functioning. The PIL is scheduled to come up in the post-lunch session.

The petition refers to a purported viral conference-call audio, annexed before the court, revealing “directives to halt opponents at homes or routes, act on local MLA’s orders, shield ruling AAP supporters with positive reports, ensure returning officers rejected entries, engineer uncontested wins by violating the model code of conduct”.

Terming the police conduct “private militia-like functioning”, the petition asserted that such actions constituted a conspiracy and amounted to wrongful restraint, intimidation and coercion, besides violating the model code of conduct that came into force on November 28.

The petitioner submitted that such actions struck at the core of the constitutional framework governing elections by infringing the right to equality, freedom of speech and association, personal liberty and the electoral superintendence vested under Article 324. The plea specifically cited offences relating to undue influence under provisions of election law and provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita on restraint, intimidation, disobedience and conspiracy.

The petition sought directions to the CBI or any independent investigating agency to launch immediate investigation into the conduct and the allegations leveled in the present writ petition against IPS officer Varun Sharma and “a thorough and independent inquiry into the allegations of criminal conspiracy and misuse of police machinery to subvert the electoral process”.

Directions have also been sought to transfer the officer with immediate effect, prevent further interference in the ongoing elections, along with directions to the respondent-Election Commission to “deploy central armed police forces (CRPF) or independent observers till the conduct of elections and counting process in Patiala district forthwith to secure the life and liberty of candidates and voters”.