‘Insulted’ Cong MLAs complain against Bathinda police

Alleging that they were insulted by Bathinda police today,five Congress MLAs—Gurpreet Singh Kangar,Makhan Singh,Ajaib Singh Bhatti,Joginder Singh and Ajit Singh Shaant— lodged a complaint against Bathinda Senior Superintendent of Police,Phul,Deputy Superintendent of Police,and Phul SHO in the privilege committee of the Vidhan Sabha. The MLAs also threatened to approach Punjab and Haryana High Court against the officials. High drama was witnessed at the Phul Police Station after the MLAs reached there along with their supporters,in connection with a case registered against one of the Congress supporters.

The MLAs alleged that police insulted them by not allowing them to move out of the police station for nearly three hours. “This is intolerable. We are elected representatives of people,” said Rampura Phul MLA Gurpreet Singh Kangar.The MLAs alleged that Congress worker Jagsir Singh had been falsely implicated in an attempt to murder case at the behest of the ruling government.

“Jagsir was not even in Punjab at that time,he was falsely implicated because he had complained against Gurpreet Singh Malooka,son of Akali leader Sikander Singh Malooka in an assault case,” alleged Kangar. A Faridkot Court had sentenced Gurpreet Malooka to seven months’ imprisonment in the case.

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“Jagsir was granted a stay on his arrest in the attempt to murder case and we feared the police may slap another false case on him,so we decided to accompany him as he joined the investigations today,” Kangar said. Gurpreet Malooka,when contacted,said “Kangar’s only agenda is to defame us. He is misusing his power as an MLA to shield an accused.”

Earlier,a group of persons,who according to Kangar were Akali supporters,ghearoed the police station and started raising slogans against Kangar and other MLAs who were inside.Bathinda SSP Ashish Chaudhry was not available for comment.