No arrest yet, AAP nominee’s body cremated day after protest

BATHINDA MURDER Police take in custody mobile phone of the victim’s wife as part of the investigation in the case

: Police are yet to make any arrest in the murder of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s nominee for the Gill Kalan rural constituency in the Bathinda zila parishad.

Harinder Singh alias Hinda (42) was found murdered at his home on Monday morning at Jethuke village, nearly 40 km from the district headquarters, with the local AAP leadership crying foul and even demanding cancellation of the elections to the rural bodies.

AAP MLA and leader of opposition in the Punjab assembly Harpal Singh Cheema had termed it a political murder.

In the face of an alleged political angle in the murder, the police have also taken in custody the mobile phone of the victim’s wife as part of the investigations following a tip-off of a foul play within the family.

The bereaved family on Tuesday cremated Harinder’s body after the police convinced the AAP cadres and the villagers that they were close to zero in on the culprits. On Monday, AAP workers protested outside the Rampura Sadar police station but lifted protest giving time of 24 hours to police to arrest the accused.

A case of murder was registered against three unidentified persons at the Rampura Sadar police station on the complaint of Kiranjit Kaur, the wife of the deceased.

PAPERS REJECTED ON FLIMSY GROUNDS: SAD

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Tuesday said it has received reports from across the state of large-scale rejections of the nomination papers of Akali candidates on flimsy grounds.

“The entire poll process has been reduced to a farce. The rejections suggest that the officials concerned had been given explicit directions not to entertain their candidature at any cost,” party spokesman a Daljit Cheema said.

HARINDER SINGH HINDA (42), PARTY NOMINEE FOR GILL KALAN RURAL SEGMENT WAS FOUND MURDERED AT HIS HOME ON MONDAY AT JETHUKE VILLAGE