Ex-cong MLA booked for abetment to suicide, VB opens probe in DA case

DOUBLE TROUBLE

PATIALA: It is double trouble for the former Congress MLA Hardial Kamboj, as he has been booked by district police for abetment of suicide, while vigilance bureau has launched a probe into disproportionate asset (DA) case against him.

On Friday morning, the district police here booked Congress leader and former MLA Hardial Kamboj, his son Nirbhai Singh alias Milty Kamboj and four others, after a social media reporter committed suicide. Ramesh Sharma, who operated a local news website, committed suicide after being upset with a former MLA. Before dying, deceased Ramesh made a video expressing his grief. A suicide note has also been written along with it.

Body of the deceased was recovered from a park, when his video accusing the MLA, his son and other aides had gone viral. Ramesh has accused that Milty Kamboj had grabbed his shop and was demanding Rs 30,000 per month if he wanted Ramesh to operate his family Dhaba. He said that he was hoping for action against the accused, but no one gave justice to him, which lead him to commit suicide.

Station house officer (SHO) Rajpura city, Rakesh Sharma said a case under Section 306 (abetment of suicide) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been registered against all who were named in suicide note. Former MLA Hardial Kamboj denied all the allegations and said it was a politically motivated case. Kamboj has been elected two times MLA from Rajpura from Congress. His son is also an office bearer of Punjab Youth Congress.

Meanwhile, the vigilance bureau has summoned Hardial

Kamboj to its Patiala office and asked him to bring along his record of property and bank balances.

“We have launched a probe against Kamboj as our preliminary findings show that he is amassing huge properties and wealth, which is disproportionate to his income. He was summoned for today, but he didn’t appear as he was remained tangled in the suicide case of Rajpura”, said an VB official. The VB is also probing who was behind the illegal liquor racket, which was being run at Rajpura during the congress regime.