3 days before Tarn Taran bypoll, SSP suspended

The Election Commission on Saturday suspended Tarn Taran Senior Superintendent of Police Dr Ravjot Kaur Grewal, the development coming just three days ahead of the November 11 Assembly bypoll.

Grewal had assumed charge in Tarn Taran in September. She has been replaced with IPS officer Surendra Lamba, said an official statement.

Though no reason has been mentioned for the suspension, the action came after Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal lodged a complaint with the Punjab Chief Electoral Officer against the SSP.

Sukhbir had alleged the illegal detention of Akali leaders on the SSP’s instance. He alleged that the SSP as well as SP (Detective) Ripurapan Singh and CIA Staff Incharge Prabhjit Singh were misusing their position to conduct illegal raids on SAD workers and demanded an impartial probe into their conduct. The SAD alleged that party’s municipal councillor Sham Singh, sarpanch Varinder Singh and former sarpanch Balwinder Singh were illegally detained and threatened with false FIRs if they didn’t support AAP candidate Harmeet Singh Sandhu.

Reacting to the suspension, Sukhbir said, “The AAP’s gambit to influence the bypoll by misusing the police has been thwarted by SAD workers and the EC.”

Congress MLA and former minister Pargat Singh too welcomed the decision, saying it would boost the morale of party workers in Tarn Taran. “AAP has turned Punjab into a police state, but the Election Commission has derailed its mission,” he said.

The polling for the bypoll will be held on November 11 and the results will be announced on November 14.