AMRITSAR: The Election Commission has ordered the administration to shift all inspectors (SHOs), Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPO and. ‘Superintendents of Police (SP) in the: ‘Tarn Taran and Majitha police districts out of the constituency, till the completion of the election process. ‘This step follows reports of police interference in the election process in the Tarn Taran constituency.

‘While addressing newsmen at Tam ‘Taran, State Election Commissioner Barjendra Singh disclosed that all the. Posts vacated due to this order will be filed by police officials from other districts; DIG Paramjit Singh Sandhu will oversee the security arrangements under the supervision of Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Gurbachan Jagat.

Barjendra Singh said that Kulwinder ‘Singh, SHO, Jhabbal, who was allegedly responsible for roughing up some Harijans, had been suspended and shifted to Gurdaspur district.

Disclosing that the BC had received a large number of ‘complaints apprehending violence on the day of counting in Tarn Taran and Faridkot constituencies, Barjendra Singh said that the commission had decided to depute two additional central observers each on these two seals, Besides, Paramilitary forces would be deployed in seven out of nine assembly segments of the Faridkot constituency during counting. The deployment of state police would be reinforced in the remaining two segments owing to shortage of paramilitary forces and an officer of the rank of DIG would ‘oversee the security arrangements.

Barjendra Singh said that he had told the election officers to ensure smooth and fair counting of votes. Revealing that no major complaint of apprehension of trouble had been received from any other place in the state, he said that preventive security arrangements had been made at Sham Chaurasi, following apprehension of violence by Congress candidate Kamal Chowdhury,

Barjendra Singh also addressed a meeting of senior civil and police officials. Those who attended the meeting included Karanbir Singh Sidhu, returning officer for Amritsar and Tam Taran constituencies, Inspector General of Police (border range) Bakhshi Ram, DIG (border range) Paramjit Singh Sandhu, SSP Majitha Parmodh Kumar and SSP Tarn Taran Gurcharan Singh Barjendra Singh also visited Rayya, Khadoor Sahib, and Patti counting centers.

Bakshi Ram and Sandhu later told newsmen that they had visited all the buildings where ballot boxes hail been locked. Ruling out any tampering of boxes, Sandhu said that these were being inspected every hour by a gazetted police official, The general public would not be allowed to go near the place of counting of votes, he added.

‘The Tam Taran and Faridkot scats are considered very sensitive owing to reports of rigging by the police in connivance with the ruling party during the polling. Chief Minister Harcharan Singh Brar’s daughter is pitted against the son of Shiromani Akali Dal chief Parkash Singh Badal in the Faridkot constituency while a close relative of Chief Minister, Surinder Singh Kairon is in the fray from Tam Taran.

‘It was alleged that Harijans at Jhabbal village were beaten up by the police at the instance of Kairon. The Congress candidate was also accused of slapping a presiding officer of a polling station at Tam Taran. Ravinderpal Singh Kukku, a confidant of Kairon, was seen forcing people to cast votes for Congress in the presence of presiding officer.

 

Article extracted from this publication >>May 8, 1996