Newly-elected sarpanch booked for hurting religious feelings

The Nakodar Sadar police have booked Harpreetpal Singh, newly-elected sarpanch of Raheempur village, and seven other villagers on the charge of hurting religious sentiments.

The Nakodar Sadar police have booked Harpreetpal Singh, newly-elected sarpanch of Raheempur village, and seven other villagers on the charge of hurting religious sentiments. Two of the accused, Hardeep Singh and Sarabdial Singh, have been arrested.

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Raheempur resident Lashkar Singh, a candidate for the sarpanch's post, told the police that the accused stopped him outside a polling booth, removed his turban and pulled his beard.

Station house officer (SHO) DS Gill said a case under Section 295-A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) had been registered against Harpreetpal Singh, Prabhjot Singh, Mandeep Singh, Hardeep Singh, Sarabdial Singh, Sukhjit Singh, Ravi and Mandeep Singh.

When contacted, Harpreetpal told Hindustan Times that a false case had been registered against him and his associates under political pressure. He said he was kept in police custody for three hours at the Nakodar police station, even as the ruling party tried to capture a polling booth but failed.

The complainant is an office-bearer of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) at Nakodar and a