EXAKALI SARPANCH MURDERED
The 55yearold had gone to irrigate his fields on Tuesday; family suspects political rivalry behind crime
AMRITSAR: A Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and former sarpanch of Khiala village near Amritsar was brutally murdered in his fields by unidentified persons on Tuesday.
The victim, Sarabjit Singh Zaildar (55), who remained sarpanch of his village twice, had gone to irrigate his fields on Tuesday morning.
His body with severed head was found near a tubewell at noon. Sharp-edged weapons were used to execute the crime, police said.
Soon after getting information about the incident, Amritsar senior superintendent of police (SSP rural) Parampal Singh, SP (headquarters) Harpal Singh along with a police team reached the spot and started investigation.
A forensic team of the Amritsar police was also called to collect samples.
Sarabjit’s brother Sukhchain Singh, who lives in Amritsar, said, “My brother had gone to his fields at around 11am. The family came to know around noon that he was killed. Sarabjit’s son rushed to the spot immediately and saw two to three men fleeing from there.”
“After getting information, I also reached the spot. There were wounds of sharp-edged weapons on different parts of his body. We suspect political rivalry behind the murder,” he said.
Police, however, said they are investigating the matter and will be able to say anything only after completing their preliminary probe.
Baldev Singh, who works in the deceased’s farms, said, “I was with Sarabjit till 11am. He asked me to switch on the power transformer located nearby. When I returned, I found him lying on the ground. I saw an unidentified motorcycle-borne man fleeing towards the village drain.”
“We have registered a case under Section 302 (punishment for murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against some unidentified men at the Lopoke police station. Efforts are on to identify the suspects, who will be arrested soon,” said SSP Parampal.
Veer Singh Lopoke, district president of SAD and former MLA from the Rajasansi constituency, said, “Crime incidents like murder, snatching and robbery are on the rise in Amritsar, especially the Lopoke block. Daylight murder of our leader exposes poor security arrangements here. We demand immediate arrest of the accused.”
In July, a 35-year-old man was shot dead by three persons at Manjh village which is also the jurisdiction of the Lopoke police station. On August 3, the body of a 30-year-old unidentified man was found in the canal at Beharwal village.
The victim’s hands and legs were tied with a rope.
› I saw an unidentified motorcycleborne man fleeing towards the village drain.
BALDEV SINGH, a worker at Zaildar’s fields