15 hours after being named as Congress nominee, Ladi booked for illegal mining
SHAHKOT (JALANDHAR): In a setback to the Congress, police on Friday booked Hardev Singh Ladi Sherowalia on charges of illegal mining within hours of the declaration of his candidature for the Shahkot assembly bypoll, which is scheduled for May 28.
Ladi, 50, general secretary of the Punjab Congress, whose candidature was announced by the party around 1pm on Thursday, had lost the election last year to Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Ajit Singh Kohar, whose death necessitated the bypoll.
On the complaint of Mohan Singh of Malrhi village in Nakodar, a case has been registered against Ladi, contractor of Kaimvala quarry Surjit Singh and Ashwinder Singh under Section 21 of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act and Section 379 (theft) of the IPC, a non-bailable offence, at the Mehatpur police station.
Station house officer (SHO) Parminder Singh Bajwa, who was transferred here two days back on the orders of the election commission, registered the FIR at 4.26am on Friday.
In his complaint to the Punjab chief election officer, Mohan Singh, general secretary of the brick kiln labourers’ union alleged that despite the model code of conduct being in force, illegal mining was rampant on panchayat land in Kaimvala, Rahpur Gujra, Gausuwal, Chelian, Baloki, Budhewal, Khurlapur, Chak Bahmnia and Pipli villages. “Illegal mining is being carried out at the behest of Congress halqa in-charge Hardev Singh Ladi Sherowalia,” he alleged in his complaint.
Deputy commissioner-cum-district election officer Varinder Kumar Sharma forwarded the complaint to the police and asked them to process it within 24 hours.
SSP, Jalandhar rural, Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said the election commission had only asked to inquire the complaint, but the SHO registered the FIR without taking any senior police officer in the loop. “He should have consulted mining and revenue officials first. I have asked the Shahkot DSP to probe the matter,” Bhullar said. A probe has also been marked to SP investigation Balkar Singh into the SHO’s act, said Bhullar.
When contacted, Ladi said the SHO didn’t even probe the allegations levelled in the complaint before registering the FIR. “I have faith in the election commission and clear my stand before it,” he said, adding that he was consulting his lawyer.
THE SHO RESIGNED AFTER REGISTERING FIR AGAINST LADI, BUT HE CAME AROUND BY THE EVENING
CHANDIGARH: The Congress candidate for Shahkot assembly bypoll, Hardev Singh Ladi Sherowalia, who was on Friday booked on charges of illegal mining, is not new to controversies, particularly related to sand mining.
Ladi, 50, is a nephew of the late Darbara Singh, who was a Congress stalwart from Doaba region of Punjab and also remained governor of Rajasthan. He claims to carry his political legacy, but his rise in the Congress can be linked with his “political guru”, Rana Gurjit Singh, Congress’ Kapurthala MLA who resigned from the state cabinet following controversies related to illegal sand mining.
Rana considers Ladi “more than a trusted aide”, said local party leaders who did not want to be named. It was Rana’s push that helped Ladi get the ticket from Shahkot in last year’s assembly elections, though he lost to Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Ajit Singh Kohar, whose death has necessitated the bypoll. Such is Ladi’s affinity towards Rana that he tries to copy Rana’s “aggressive style” and has lately “copied” Rana’s upturned moustache style too, said local leaders.
Since Shahkot has a large area open for mining — it is situated along the river Sutlej — stakes are high. And Ladi’s name is being linked to the illegal business from the beginning of the Congress regime that took over last year.
As ‘halqa (constituency) in-charge and as a close associate of Rana, who before his resignation was one of the most powerful ministers in the state, Ladi influence postings of police and revenue officials too, it is alleged. His opponents from within the Congress and from the SAD have repeatedly accused him of “patronising” the trade.
Only last week, a “sting operation” on video came out in which Ladi is purportedly seen seeking “one truck of sand daily” from contractors involved in mining. Yet, he got the Congress ticket. However, Ladi has in the past “ditched” other Congress candidates from Shahkot. Former Congress leaders, including former minister Brij Bhupinder Lali, and Col CD Kambol (retd) who lost in 2002, 2007 and 2012, had accused Lali of “backstabbing” the party. Just ahead of the assembly polls last year, Ladi had created a flutter by stating that if the Congress denied him the ticket he would fight as independent.
This time, after he got the ticket for the bypoll, five Congress leaders, Brij Bhupinder Singh, Captain Harminder Singh, Rajanbir Singh, Navjot Dahiya and Puran Singh Thind, all considered contenders from the ticket, came out against Ladi and passed a “resolution” to appeal to the high command to give the ticket to a “non-controversial” person instead.