Cong, Akali leaders from supply hub of killer brew under scanner
Tarn Taran’s Pandoori Gola village resident, who contested zila parishad polls in 2018 on SAD ticket, named as one of main accused; role of sarpanch of ruling party also being investigated
TARNTARAN:THE role of a Congress leader as well as a Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) activist from Pandoori Gola village in the Khadoor Sahib constituency has come under scanner in death of 111 persons due to consumption of illicit liquor in Tarn Taran and adjoining districts of Amritsar and Gurdaspur.
Located just 4 kilometres from the district headquarters, Pandoori Gola, the police believe, was the hub from where the killer spirit was distributed to various villages and towns of the three Majha districts.
Kashmir Singh, a village resident who fought the zila parishad elections in 2018 on the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) ticket, has been named as an accused while the role of sitting sarpanch Kulwinder Singh Babbu, who owes allegiance to the ruling Congress, is also under scanner.
Kashmir along with six others was arrested on Saturday by the Tarn Taran police after the initial reports of deaths emerged. He was booked under Sections 304 (culpable homicide), 328 (causing hurt by means of poison), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 61-1-14 of the Excise Act.
Kashmir Singh’s brother Harjit Singh and the latter’s sons Satnam and Shamsher are seen as some of the key players in the racket.
Police say Harjit Singh and his two sons were in contact with Moga’s Avtar Singh, who allegedly sold three drums of the spirit which is believed to be the cause of the deaths, to them for Rs 84,000. The drums were found hidden in the bushes near the village.
Harjit and his sons sold part of the spirit to Gobinder Singh of Jandiala, who further supplied it to Muchhal village in Amritsar and Gurdaspur’s Batala town, say the police. The residents of the village said Kashmir and Harjit are into the illicit liquor trade for the last two decades despite the police being aware about it.
Kashmir lost the election as a member of zila parishad against Congress’ Jaswant Singh.
SSP: ‘NO TECHNICAL EVIDENCE AGAINST VILLAGE HEAD SO FAR’
Village sarpanch Kulwinder Singh has also been booked in the case. Kulwinder’s wife said, “My husband has been booked by the police under political pressure. He is innocent.” Some residents of the village said he had been sheltering those into selling illicit liquor in the village.
Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Dhruman H Nimbale said, “Kulwinder’s role is being probed. Till now, no technical evidence has been found against him.”
Tarn Taran zila parishad former chairman and SAD leader Baldev Singh, who is a resident of the same village, said, “Kashmir Singh was fielded as a party candidate when Ravinder Singh Brahmpura was the in-charge of the constituency. When Ravinder Singh’s father and former MP Ranjit Singh Brahmpra parted his way with the party, Kashmir also joined the rebels.”
Ravinder Brahmpura, said, “Kashmir joined our group in 2019, but he went back to the Akali Dal after my father’s tenure as MP came to an end.”
SAD district president Virsa Singh Valtoha said, “All accused should be punished strictly no matter which political party they belong to. People are also accusing Congress’ Khadoor Sahib MLA Ramanjit Singh Sikki’s personal assistant (PA) Jarmanjit Singh of being involved. Action should be taken against him too.”
Sikki said attempts were being made o defame him by dragging his PA’S name in the case.