KHANNA (LUDHIANA) ; The infamous excise and taxation officers selection case in which both the Punjab and Haryana goofed is having a rather queer fall-out in this township. The members of a joint family of Kauri village three kilometers fr0r had dared to move the high count for justice are in tum facing the wrath of the law on forcing agencies. ‘
Jaswinder Kaur a young graduate of the village who had filed three writ petitions in the high court challenging the appointments by Punjab Excise and Taxation Minister Shamsher Singh Dullo in the department without holding any proper fest or interview a harrowing experience. She alleges that her uncle Labh Singh a couch with the Sports Authority of India tried in February to be wrath of the police at the behest of the minister who however denies the charges me Re
His men have warned against my attending a function at Ludhiana on July 10 organized by the Bahujan Samaj Party to honor me Jaswinder Kaur said last week.
She alleged that she and other members of her family face a threat to their lives from the police despite the fact that the Dullo had cancelled the appointments earlier made by him following the Supreme Court indictment in a similar case of Anand Singh Dangi the then chain of the Haryana Subordinate Services Board. At the time of the judgment of the apex court Dangi had to own moral responsibility for the appointments and resign his ministerial berth in the Bhajan Lal Ministry.
Dullo denied that the police were harassing the family at his behest He said in fact Leh Singh had been acting as 4 middle men for a police officer who was related to him. He had even promised to get their problems solved at a cost. When he failed to satisfy them they had complained to the police According to the minister he had sent his men to Kauri village to offer the girl a job since her late father was in government service. But being an activist of the BSP she and other members of the family were interested in creating and cry that the minister was responsible for police raids.
Jaswinder and her sister Manjinder were orphans and had been living with their paternal uncle (Chacha) Labh Singh. Being poor Jaswinder had applied for all three posts excise inspectors excise and taxation officers and clerks advertised by the department.
Kulwant Kaur an aunt of Jaswinder Kaur said Dullo had been openly threatening the family with dire consequences. He got a number of false cases registered against Labh Singh who is the only earning member of the family. Fearing torture at the hands of police all the members of the family including Phuman Singh grandfather have taken anticipatory bail from the high court.
The nightmare for the family had in fact started in February 14 when the Khanna police had raided the house for the first time in search of Labh Singh whom they suspected of being the inspiring force behind Jaswinder Kaur’s petitions. The cops misbehaved with the family. Since then the police have raided the house at least 15 times maintains Kulwant Kaur
Vijay Sharma Deputy Superintendent of Police however says that Labh Singh is wanted in connection with a complaint lodged by Malkit Singh of Ghandva village that he (Labh Singh) owes Rs 40,0000 one Paramjit Singh. Yet another case under section 420 has been registered in the month of April and May after the writ petitions were filed.
Article extracted from this publication >> July 15, 1994
