Maur blasts: Union leader questioned, Left upset

BATHINDA : With pro-Khalistan elements already on their radar, police are also probing the naxal angle into the Maur bomb blasts that claimed six lives and left 14 persons injured on January 31. A ex-trade union leader having links with Left bodies is the latest to be questioned by the police in this connection.

Police had picked Sukhmandar Singh, a former leader of Technical Services Union and now a leader of Left -aligned Lok Sangram Manch, on February 15 and questioned him for over two hours.

Leaders of leftist organisations, including Lok Sangram Manch, BKU (Krantikari), Pendu Mazdoor Union, Jamhoori Adhikar Sabha and Aurat Mukti Manch, on Saturday said the police were trying to harass their leaders.

Sukhmandar said a team of crime investigation agency (CIA) picked him from his house in Gurdyal Singh Dhillon Nagar in Bathinda on February 15 morning and he was taken to agency’s office.

“The cops questioned me for over two hours. They asked me if I knew how to manufacture bombs, saying I have links with the Maoists. They also said I have links with the Babbar Khalsa International,” he said.

“I told them I am a rationalist, so there was no question of my links with a religious organisation. I adhere to an ideology that is pro-people and police should arrest the culprits as early as possible. They also asked me about another left leader Harpinder Singh Jalal,” he said.

Sukhwinder Kaur of Aurat Mukti Manch said instead of arresting the culprits, police were harassing people who work in trade unions and raise pro-people issues. She said police also visited the house of Harpinder Jalal the very day they picked Sukhmandar, but he was not there.

She said if the police didn’t stop this, we (leaders of the Left bodies) will launch an agitation,” she said. They also met Bathinda SSP Swapan Sharma in this regard.

The SSP said they were investigating the blasts from all possible angles and questioning every person who they feel should be questioned. “The questioning is being done legally and they are bound to come,” he said.

Six people, including four children were killed and 14 injured in the twin blasts in Maur on January 31 evening, shortly after the rally of Congress candidate.

CONGRESS WORKER QUESTIONED

Police on Saturday also picked a Congress worker from Mandi Kalan village for questioning. Rajinder Singh aka Tiger, 35, was picked by a team of CIA at about 11am and brought to its office in Bathinda. The cops let him off after over four-hour questioning.

Bathinda, SSP, Swapan Sharma said that man was questioned as he had faced cases and was present at the rally, going by the his mobile phone location.

Terming his questioning as harassment, Rajinder said he was at the rally as he is a Congress worker. “I had mobilised workers for the rally. Why police picked Congress worker and not a Shiromani Akali Dal worker?” he said. Though, he said cops didn’t misbehave with him during the questioning.

Rajinder was an accused in the case of murder of four Nihangs in a shootout in Patiala in September 2007. He was acquitted in the case in May 2016.

LEFT ORGANISATIONS SAY POLICE TRYING TO HARASS THEIR LEADERS IN THE NAME OF PROBE