Ex-sarpanch murder: Two Cong sarpanches among four booked

AMRITSAR: Four persons, including two sarpanches, have been booked for allegedly killing a former sarpanch in Ballarwal village of Ajnala subdivision in the district, police said on Thursday.

The deceased was identified as Maur Singh, 55, of the same village.

The accused have been identified as Punnan Singh, sarpanch of Baba Gamchak Abadi in Ballarwal village; Beant Singh, sarpanch of Soahn Singh Abadi in Ballarwal village; and Shindi and her son Sonu of Sohan Singh Abadi.

Ajnala SHO inspector Satish Kumar, said Ballarwal village has four panchayats. “Both Punnan

Singh and Beant Singh owe allegiance to the ruling Congres. Even the former sarpanch who was killed was a Congress worker,” he said.

The case has been registered on the complaint of the deceased’s son-in-law Malkiat Singh, of Sarangdev Channa village. “My father-in-law had been in illegal relationship with his brother-in-law’s wife Shindi for last 25 years. On Wednesday, at around 2 pm, Maur Singh had gone to meet Shindi at her home in the same village. I got a call from one Jagir Singh of the same village informing me that my father-in-law was being beaten by the four accused,” he said in the complaint.

He added, “When I and Jagir Singh reached outside Shindi’s home, we saw Punnan Singh and Beant Singh coming out. When we went inside the home, we found Shindi and her son changing the clothes of my father-inlaw, who was lying in a bed in an unconscious condition. After seeing us, Shin di and her son Sonu fled. We immediately rushed Maur Singh to a private hospital in Ajnala, where he was declared brought dead.”

The SHO said they have registered a case against the accused under Sections 302 (murder) and 120 (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.

Meanwhile, the deceased’s nephew Baljit Singh alleged that both the sitting sarpanches had been keeping a grudge against his uncle since the last panchayat polls.