‘AKALI LEADER’S MURDER POLITICALLY MOTIVATED’

BATALA: Even after passing of more than 48 hours, the Batala police were yet to arrest the accused who gunned down and later hacked to death former Akali sarpanch and vice-president of Gurdaspur Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) unit even as SAD leaders alleged that it was handiwork of the ruling party.

SAD leader Dalbir Singh Dhilwan was shot dead by his neighbour Balwinder Singh and his sons—mandeep Singh and Major Singh on Monday night.

Senior Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia, who visited the deceased’s house at Dhilwan village, dubbed the killing a political murder.

“It is a pre-planned political murder which was committed under political patronage. Local congress leadership is trying to create terror among the SAD workers through such tactics. No arrests have been made in the case even after 48 hours. It clearly shows that the police are being pressurised by local Congress leaders,” he said.

“Dhilwan was a member of our SAD family and if the police did not take action against the Congressmen, who brutally murdered Dhilwan, we will not hesitate to move court,” he added.

He was accompanied by Batala sitting MLA Lakhbir Singh Lodhinangal, Majha (youth wing) in-charge Ravi Karan Singh Kahlon, former Hoshiarpur zila parishad chairman Sarabjot Singh Sabi and a battery of local leaders.

Earlier, SSP Opinderjit Singh Ghuman had formed five teams to locate the possible whereabouts of the miscreants.

Denying the allegations levelled by Majithia, SSP said that the incident does not have anything to do with local politics.

Ghumman said that they had checked CCTV footage of the cameras installed near the spot. “We have got certain leads and our teams were raiding all possible hideouts of the accused and very soon, they will be put behind bars,” he added.

An FIR under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and various sections of the Arms Act was registered at the Kotil Surat Malhi police station against Balwinder, his sons and six unknown persons.