Patti MC ex-chief, 3 others booked for ‘breaking open’ sealed shop

TARN TARAN: Four Congress leaders, including Patti municipal council (MC)’S former president Dalbir Singh Sekhon, have been booked for allegedly breaking open a shop which was sealed over allegations of illegal encroachment. The action comes around three weeks after the MC’S Congress president was dethroned by a no-confidence motion passed with the help of 10 turncoat councillors. The case was registered on Monday after the MC’S executive officer (EO) Bhupinder Singh and other staff members staged a protest outside the office of deputy superintendent of police (DSP, Patti) Maninderpal Singh, demanding action against the accused for forcefully breaking open a sealed shop. The others booked in the case have been identified as Raj Kumar alias Raju, the husband of ward number 15’s incumbent councillor Raman, his son Ballu and ward number 3’s present councillor Harjinder Singh alias Boby. Some unidentified persons have also been booked.

The case has been registered under Sections 427 (causing damage), 186 (obstructing public servant), 148 (rioting with deadly weapons), 149 (unlawful assembly) of Indian Penal Code and Sections 25-54-59 of Arms Act.

Congress’ former Patti MLA Harminder Singh Gill said the action was a result of political vendetta. He said, “Raju has been running the shop for 20 years. A case regarding the shop is pending in a local court. However, the Patti MC, under pressure from AAP government, has vacated the shop illegally and confiscated the items stored in it.”