CHANDIGARH: Former Patiala Raja Captain Amarinder Singh denied he had abducted the Punjab government’s commercial pilot Manpreet Sekhon and that the girl had been living with him.
Manpreet parents H.S. Sekhon and mother Pushpi Sekhon at a press conference here recently had alleged that the Longowal Akali leader had taken away the daughter to an unknown destination after abduction and that they planned to have a report made to the police
Amarinder Singh invited newsmen to his hill resort at Chail in Himachal Pradesh to tell them that Manpreet was merely his friend and that allegations of abduction were made by the girl’s parents at the instance of the Punjab chief minister who wanted to malign him so that his chances of becoming chief minister were ruined. Beant Singh did not speak on the subject so far while the gives parents quoted Punjab police chief KPS. Gill as saying that a police case was not required to be registered because the girl would be recovered otherwise
The fact that Manpreet Sekhon was in constant touch with Amarinder Singh was indicated by the latter when he said: “To my knowledge she has gone to Bombay for an interview. She may meet newsmen at Chandigarh in a day or two.
No wonder Manpreet telephoned newsmen at Chandigarh to state that no one had abducted her and that her relations with her father were strained. She said she was looking for a job. She is 28. From her remarks it appeared to newsmen that she was indeed in Jove with Amarinder Singh but seemed to be a broken woman Amarinder had so far acknowledged his friendship with her and no more than that this may have had an upsetting effect on the girl
Amarinder it appears has been embarrassed by the public allegations against him involving the girl. He has tried to give apolitical twist to the issue by dragging in the name of a chief minister Beant Singh.
He said:” The government sought to involve Gurcharan Singh Tohra in a case of murder and Simranjit Singh Mann has been dubbed as pro-militant. Parkash Singh Badal too may soon face similar charge the governments out to malign me in connection with the girl.
Article extracted from this publication >> July 24, 1992
