Punjab: Former Congress MLA held for unlawful mining, celebration cries vendetta politics

By PTI

CHANDIGARH: Former Congress MLA from Bhoa Joginder Pal was on Friday arrested by the Pathankot police after he was discovered indulging in “illegal mining”, an official assertion stated right here.

“The government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann reaffirmed its zero-tolerance against corruption and illegal practices with the arrest of former Congress MLA from Bhoa Joginder Pal after he was found indulging in illegal mining,” the assertion stated.

Congress dubbed the arrest a transparent case of political vendetta.

The Punjab authorities assertion whereas quoting Pathankot Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Arun Saini stated appearing on dependable info, a police group was despatched to the positioning of a crusher close to Maira Kalan village on June 8, the place some individuals have been discovered finishing up unlawful mining utilizing an excavator machine.

He stated police groups had managed to get well the heavy machine and a tractor-trailer, nonetheless, its operator and yet one more individual managed to flee from the spot.

The excavator was registered within the title of Krishna Washed Stone Crusher, Kidi Khurd village in Taragarh, he stated.

An FIR dated June 8 beneath the provisions of the Mining and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act was registered on the Taragarh police station.

The SSP stated in the course of the investigation, it was discovered that former MLA Joginder Pal has a 50 per cent share in Krishna Washed Stone Crusher.

Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring condemned the “arbitrary arrest” of the previous celebration MLA, saying it was a transparent case of political vendetta.

Warring stated in an analogous case, an FIR stands registered towards an Aam Aadmi Party chief however he has not been arrested.

Moreover, Pal’s title was added as an afterthought simply to arrest him, he alleged in an announcement.

Warring additionally requested police “not to succumb to the AAP pressure and falsely implicate people”.

“Please do your duty responsibly and ensure no innocent is harassed as you will be answerable as well,” he stated.

The state Congress president instructed Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann that “he cannot camouflage political vendetta as war against corruption”.

Warring claimed the AAP authorities in Punjab was pissed off over its failures and watching a devastating defeat within the Sangrur parliamentary bypolls.

Now, with the intention to deflect public consideration from its failures, it has resorted to concentrating on Congress leaders, he alleged.

“You may try to harass us for a while by misusing police but the ultimate justice is delivered by the courts and we have full faith in our judicial system,” he stated.