Another NSA detainee Kulwant Rauke to contest Barnala bypoll, announces his brother

Rauke's father Charhat Singh was also picked up by police on March 25, 1993, during Punjab's militancy period and he never returned home.

2 min readLudhianaJun 29, 2024 08:22 AM IST

National Security Act (NSA) detainee Kulwant Singh Rauke. (Express Photo)

Lodged in Assam’s Dibrugarh jail along with pro-Khalistan preacher Amritpal Singh, another detainee under the National Security Act (NSA) Kulwant Singh Rauke will now contest the Barnala Assembly bypoll, said his brother Maha Singh on Friday.

Contesting from jail, Amritpal won the recently concluded Lok Sabha election from Punjab’s Khadoor Sahib by a huge margin.

His another accomplice Bhagwant Singh Pardhan Mantri Bajeke had earlier this week announced to contest the bypoll from Gidderbaha seat of Muktsar district, as announced by his minor son.

The bypoll to Barnala seat has been necessitated after AAP’s incumbent Barnala MLA Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer won Lok Sabha polls from Sangrur.

Maha Singh said, “I spoke to my brother on Friday on phone. He has decided to contest the Barnala bypoll while being lodged in jail. We will fully support him.”

Rauke (38), from Rauke Kalan village of Moga district, is a clerk with Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL). He was held by Punjab Police from his house during the statewide crackdown on the members of Amritpal Singh’s Waris Punjab De for allegedly taking part in radical activities.

Rauke’s father Charhat Singh was also picked up by police on March 25, 1993, during Punjab’s militancy period and he never returned home. “Till date we do not know if he was killed in a fake encounter or if he is still alive. We do not have any proof of his death. He was taken by police and never came back,” Maha Singh, adding that their father was also lodged in jail under the NSA in 1987.

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“He was a Youth Akali Dal leader and was detained for supporting Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale’s pro-Khalistan movement in Punjab. Later, he also became the sarpanch of our village and on March 25, 1993, police took him away forcefully from our home. We do not know what happened to him as we never recovered his body,” he said.

Divya Goyal

Divya Goyal is a Principal Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in Ludhiana (Punjab). She is widely recognized for her human-interest storytelling and in-depth investigative reporting on social and political issues in the region. Professional Profile Experience: With over 13 years in journalism, she joined The Indian Express in 2012. She previously worked with Hindustan Times. Education: A gold medalist in English Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Delhi. Core Beats: She covers a diverse range of subjects, including gender issues, education, the Sikh diaspora, heritage, and the legacy of the Partition. She has also reported on minority communities in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Awards and Recognition Divya has earned significant acclaim for her sensitivity toward gender and social disparities: Laadli Media Award (2020): For her investigative report "Punjab: The Invisible Drug Addicts," which exposed the gender disparity in treating women addicts. Laadli Media Award (2023): For a ground report on the struggles of two girls who had to ride a boat to reach their school in a border village of Punjab. Signature Style Divya is known for "humanizing the news." Rather than just reporting on policy, she often focuses on the individuals affected by it—such as students dealing with exam stress, farmers struggling with diversification, or families impacted by crime. Her work often bridges the gap between West (Pakistan) and East (India) Punjab, exploring shared heritage and common struggles. X (Twitter): @DivyaGoyal_ ... Read More

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