EC orders removal of Mehatpur SHO
Was carrying revolver, ‘assaulted’ security officer when asked to keep it outside court where he had gone to seek security cover due to ‘threat after FIR on Ladi’
CHANDIGARH: Following complaints of bias and dereliction of duty, the Election Commission of India on Friday finally ordered removal of Parminder Singh Bajwa as station house officer (SHO) of Mehatpur in Punjab’s Shahkot segment where a bypoll is scheduled on May 28.
The development comes on a day when the SHO, who had registered a case of illegal mining against Congress candidate Hardev Singh Ladi Sherowalia, was arrested by the Jalandhar police for allegedly assaulting and obstructing an on-duty government official and carrying a weapon to the local court where he had gone to seek security.
Now his suspension from the service seems imminent, said a top police officer. Inspector Hardip Singh, SHO of Malaud police station in Khanna police district, will replace Bajwa, said Punjab chief electoral officer (CEO) Dr Karna S Raju.
The orders regarding transfer of Bajwa and posting of new officer has been sent to the chief secretary and the DGP for compliance with immediate effect, added Raju. The CEO had on Thursday prepared a report based on over all complaints against Bajwa and sent it to the EC. “The SHO has been transferred for not adhering to the code of conduct meant for officials posted on poll duty,” said a senior functionary at the Punjab CEO office.
Bajwa made headlines after he registered the FIR against Ladi for illegal mining on May 4 within hours of the Congress’ naming Ladi as its nominee. The case was registered at 4.26 am, raising suspicion about the urgency of the action.
Since then, he was apparently embarrassing the government by giving statements to the media on different issues.
Later, a video footage of Bajwa allegedly moving around with a woman in a five-star hotel in Jalandhar emerged. His call records, as per the government, revealed that he spoke to Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders. The Congress government had urged the EC to transfer Bajwa .
Parminder Singh Bajwa, the station house officer (SHO) who made headlines when he registered a case of illegal mining against the Shahkot assembly bypoll candidate of Punjab’s ruling party Congress, was arrested from the court complex here on Friday morning for carrying his revolver inside and allegedly assaulting a government servant. He was sent in judicial custody till May 25 later.
Bajwa, while being taken away, said he was there to seek security to be able to go to the high court in Chandigarh, “to get back my security cover that has been withdrawn by the local police”. Later in the day, he was also replaced as the SHO of Mehatpur in the segment by the Election Commission over complaints of bias and violation of the code of conduct in filing of the FIR against the Congress nominee, Hardev Singh Ladi Sherowalia.
SCENE AT THE COURT
High drama was witnessed after Bajwa reached the court carrying a licensed revolver. He was asked to keep it outside by a security official, assistant sub-inspector Sukhwinder Pal Singh, but Bajwa pushed him out of the way and entered the court of district and sessions judge SK Garg, according to the FIR got registered by the ASI. “When we chased Bajwa, Basti Bawa Khel SHO Sukhwinder Singh, who was already present in the court for some other case, recovered the weapon from Bajwa,” the ASI said. A team of officers of the police commissionerate, led by deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Gurmeet Singh, and another team from the area station then rushed to the court and took away Bajwa.
“I have a threat from the police and administrative department,” Bajwa said while being taken away. He claimed he took the revolver inside “by mistake” and, upon realising it, “gave it” to the other SHO. He refuted the charge that he assaulted anyone.
The FIR was registered under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 186 and 353 (both relating to assaulting or obstructing public servant from duty) and under the Arms Act, at Navi Baradari police station. He was presented before the area magistrate, Rahul Kumar, who sent him to judicial custody till May 25, said Praveen Sinha, commissioner of police.
CHANGED APPEARANCE
Bajwa, who entered the court in shorts and T-shirt, had changed his appearance, having cut his beard. A resident of adjoining Kapurthala, he had also booked a room in a hotel right opposite the courts at 1am on Friday, police official probing the matter said.
He said, “I have information that the local police will detain me. Even two of my DSP friends and two inspectors were keeping vigil on me at my house in Kapurthala from where I somehow escaped and came to the court.”
WHERE IT BEGAN
He said he only did his duty by registering the FIR against the Congress candidate. “I am now feeling threatened from both the district administration and the police.”
He registered the FIR against Ladi on May 4, less than 24 hours after Ladi was declared the Congress candidate for the May 28 bypoll. He then sent a resignation to Jalandhar Rural SSP, under whose jurisdiction Mehatpur falls, citing “pressure from the government”; but later withdrew it. He then held a press conference in which he countered allegations of his “immoral” behaviour by raising questions over the personal life of the chief minister.