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Punjab Vidhan Sabha: Every fifth MLA facing serious criminal charges
According to affidavits submitted while filing nomination papers, 22 of the 117 members of the new Punjab Vidhan Sabha have serious criminal antecedents
Half of the legislators elected to the 16th Punjab Vidhan Sabha have been earlier booked in various criminal cases, with every fifth MLA facing serious charges, ranging from murder and crime against women to illegal mining and medical negligence.
According to affidavits submitted by these leaders before the Election Commission of India (ECI) while filing their nominations, 22 of the 117 members of the new House elected on March 10 have criminal antecedents other than FIRs registered for violating prohibitory orders.
Meanwhile, 35 others have first information reports (FIRs) against them for blocking roads during protests or flouting Covid-19 norms or other prohibitory orders imposed by the authorities. All these cases are at various stages of investigations or trial.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) that got an overwhelming mandate by winning 92 seats has the maximum 19 MLAs with serious cases against them. The remaining three belong to the Congress, which won 18 seats.
The AAP’s Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, who defeated Congress’ Amarpal Singh Bony from Ajnala constituency, has a murder case registered against him. According to Dhaliwal’s affidavit, the Punjab and Haryana high court has stayed his arrest in the case.
Another first-time AAP MLA Sheetal Angural, who got elected from Jalandhar West seat after defeating Sushil Kumar Rinku of the Congress, is facing the maximum nine FIRs, including for gambling and wrongful confinement. A former BJP leader who joined the AAP just ahead of the elections, Angural was also booked under the Information Technology Act, Excise Act and Arms Act.
Dr Charanjit Singh, the AAP candidate who defeated then chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi from Chamkaur Sahib, is facing a case of alleged medical negligence. A practising ophthalmologist, Dr Singh was booked under Sections 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life) of the Indian Penal Code besides various provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act in Ambala. Balbir Singh, also an eye surgeon who won the Patiala Rural seat, had charges framed against him in two cases of cheating and causing hurt that were registered against him in Rupnagar in 2011.
AAP MLA from Khadoor Sahib Manjinder Singh Lalpura is facing five cases, including two FIRs related to outraging modesty of women. According to the election affidavit of Lalpura, who defeated two-time Congress MLA Ramanjeet Singh Sahota “Sikki”, charges were framed against him in one criminal case of outraging modesty.
Inderjit Kaur Mann, 53, a former sarpanch who won the Nakodar seat in a close contest with Gurpartap Singh Wadala of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), is named in an alleged illegal mining case. Her election papers say the case was registered under the Mines and Minerals Act at the Rahon police station in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar.
Veteran Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira, who also remained the leader of opposition during his stint in the AAP, is facing three criminal cases, including one under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act related to his alleged involvement in a drug and weapons haul case of 2015. He has been re-elected from his stronghold Bholath.
The AAP’s greenhorn Gurmit Khuddian, who defeated Akali patriarch Parkash Singh Badal from Lambi, is facing a case under the Arms Act; while his fellow party member Daljit Singh Grewal, who got elected from Ludhiana East, has cases of attempt to murder and crime against women registered against him.
