Obstructing polls: SAD leader, brother sent to judicial custody in Muktsar
The case was registered based on the complaint of the presiding officer for stopping government officials from performing their duty during the rural polls.
A court on Thursday sent Shiropmani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and Gidderbaha halqa in-charge Hardeep Singh Dimpy Dhillon, his brother Sunny Dhillon and Dimpy’s close aide Jagtar Singh to 14-day judicial custody after they were booked for obstructing the zila parishad and panchayat samiti polls.
A case was registered against the three on Wednesday under Sections 353, 186, 188 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Sections 135 and 135-A of the Representation of People Act, 1951, at the Kotbhai police station on the complaint of the presiding officer for stopping government officials from performing their duty during the rural polls.
A case against them along with several others was also registered at the Gidderbaha police station under Sections 353, 186, 341, 148 and 149 of IPC and Sections 135, 135- A of the Representation of People Act on Wednesday.
The police arrested them on Wednesday after a clash between SAD and Congress workers at Giljewala village. After their arrest, Akali workers had held a protest in front of Kotbhai police station in the evening.
Dimpy Dhillon said, “The Congress workers captured booths in several villages during the polls. When we reached there, they attacked us. The police took us in custody on the pretext of ensuring our safety but in the evening we came to know that a case was registered against us. The police are trying to harass us at the behest of the Congress.”
Dimpy had unsuccessfully contested the 2017 assembly election from the Gidderbaha constituency.
Gidderbaha deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Gurtej Singh denied any political pressure on the police.
“We have registered a case after we received a complaint,” he said.