Jailed in extortion case, man wins Youth Congress poll from behind bars
Questions for party as Amritsar leader secures decisive victory despite being lodged in jail
Azad Singh, a resident of Butari village in Amritsar district, won the Indian Youth Congress election while being behind bars.(Express Photo) A Youth Congress leader lodged in jail in connection with a Rs 30 lakh extortion case has been elected vice-president of the organisation from the Baba Bakala Assembly segment, putting the party in an uncomfortable position and raising questions about its internal election process.
Azad Singh, a resident of Butari village in Amritsar district, won the Indian Youth Congress election while being behind bars. According to results uploaded on the organisation’s official website, he secured 3,053 votes out of 4,812 polled, defeating rival Sukhpreet Singh Sukh Randhawa, who got 1,596 votes.
The result is unusual because Singh has been in jail since his arrest in February this year by Amritsar Rural Police in an extortion case linked to an alleged Rs 30 lakh ransom demand made to a property dealer.
Police had arrested Singh after registering a case based on a complaint by Deepak Kumar Julka, a property dealer from Jandiala Guru.
According to the FIR, Julka received a series of threatening WhatsApp calls from foreign numbers between January and February this year. The caller allegedly identified himself as gangster Lucky Singh Lodha and demanded Rs 30 lakh, threatening to kill Julka and his family if the money was not paid.
Investigators said threatening videos, including one showing a pistol, were also sent to the complainant. Police have claimed that technical evidence linked Singh to the case and that a mobile phone was recovered from him during the investigation.
The police also alleged that Singh had been in contact with gangsters and had sought their support to influence elections.
Despite his arrest, Singh remained a candidate because he had filed his nomination papers before being taken into custody.
Indian Youth Congress president-elect Shubham Sharma said the election process was already underway when Singh submitted his nomination.
“He was not arrested when he filed his nomination. The arrest took place later, after the nomination process had been completed,” Sharma said.
With Singh’s name remaining on the ballot, party members cast their votes and elected him to the post.
Sharma said the organisation would examine the matter once the new team formally takes charge.
“I am aware of the case. If the allegations are found to be true, we will recommend that his election be cancelled. We will not allow people with criminal tendencies to remain in the organisation,” he said.
The victory has left the Youth Congress facing an awkward question: how did a candidate accused in a serious extortion case manage to win comfortably even after landing in jail?
Share
