Punjab: Former Congress MLA Zira among 9 booked after clash over land dispute
State Congress chief Warring terms police action against Kulbir Singh Zira, the party’s Khadoor Sahib MP candidate in recent LS elections, politically motivated
Former Congress MLA Kulbir Singh Zira was among nine people booked for attempt to murder, trespass and rioting following a clash over a land dispute in Ferozepur district last week, police said on Wednesday.
In his complaint, Gurnam Singh, a 65-year-old resident of Baggi Patni under Sadar Zira police station, he was in possession of 8.12 acres near the village gurdwara since 1992 when the Punjab and Haryana high court ruled in his favour against Zira’s uncle Mahinder Jeet Singh. Gurnam said he had been cultivating the land since the court’s decision.
However, on June 6, Gurnam said, Mahinder Jeet and his supporters attempted to plough the land. When he objected, Mahinder Jeet, his son Mehakdeep Singh and several others accompanying them attacked him and his son, Gurlal Singh, who sustained serious injuries and was hospitalised in Ludhiana.
Following Gurnam Singh’s statement, the police booked Zira, his uncle Mahinder Jeet, Mehakdeep Singh, Baba Karnail Singh, Rashpal Singh, another individual named Kulbir Singh, Buta Singh, Balwinder Singh, and an unidentified person under Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 447 (criminal trespass), 427 (mischief causing damage), 107 (abetment), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), and 149 (unlawful assembly) of the Indian Penal Code as well as Sections 25, 27, 54, and 59 of the Arms Act.
Zira had unsuccessfully contested the Khadoor Sahib parliamentary election on June 1 as the Congress candidate.
When contacted, Punjab Congress chief and Ludhiana MP-elect Amrinder Singh Raja Warring termed the police action politically motivated. “Neither was Kulbir Zira involved in the incident nor was he present at the spot during the clash. The police have falsely implicated him under political pressure. The police failed to act against those who burnt the car of the other party, causing burn injuries to a person during the clash,” Warring said.
Deputy inspector general of police, Ferozepur range, Ajay Maluja refuted allegations of political pressure and said: “The matter is being investigated.”