Proclaimed offender in fray,SEC withholds Moga block samiti result

On May 9,however,he was arrested by the police and was sent to jail. But the election process continued and despite the fact that he was one of the two candidates in the fray from the block samiti,his candidature was not cancelled. Votes were polled for both the candidates.

On May 20,two residents of the village,Sarwanjit Singh and Gurmit Singh,both supporters of the other candidate in the fray moved the district authorities demanding a stay on the counting. They brought to the notice of the district authorities that Varinderpal was a proclaimed offender and had managed to become a candidate on the basis of a false affidavit. The additional district commissioner,who is also the returning officer for the polls,wrote to the commission,following which the latter decided Tuesday to withhold the result of the concerned block samiti adding that counting process cannot be stayed.

Sources in the commission said the result will be submitted by the district administration in a sealed cover to the commission and in case the proclaimed offender has the winning number of votes,legal opinion will be sought on the matter.

As case under sections 380 and 454 of the IPC was registered against Varinderpal Singh on October 26,2007. He was arrested by the Moga police the next day. He was released on bail later. A chargesheet in the case was filed on January 2008 but the police could not arrest Varinderpal. He was declared a proclaimed offended by a local court in Moga on November 9,2011.

Sources said that Varinderpal was arrested for failing to return Rs 6,000,which he had borrowed from another resident of the village. Sources add that he was living in the village but the police did not act against him till he decided to contest the block samiti elections. Sources in the district administration said Varinderpal was probably not even aware that he has been declared a proclaimed offender.