FIR Filed Against Five, Including BJP Local Chief, for Distributing Liquor to Voters During Late-Night Campaign Hoshiarpur/ Daljeet Ajnoha/May 26

FIR Filed Against Five, Including BJP Local Chief, for Distributing Liquor to Voters During Late-Night Campaign
Hoshiarpur/ Daljeet Ajnoha/May 26
An FIR has been registered against five people, including the BJP Garhshankar mandal president and two female candidates, after allegations that liquor was being distributed to voters from two vehicles late last night in the run-up to the Nagar Council elections. Seven unnamed persons have also been named in the case.
According to police, the vehicles were stopped near Puda Colony close to Puda Park at around 1 a.m. yesterday after locals reported suspicious activity. Deputy Speaker Jai Krishan Singh Rouri visited the scene and gave a live account of the incident, showing the seized vehicles and their contents — bottles of liquor, BJP flags, and voter lists — and said action would be taken.
Gurdshankar police registered the case on the complaint of Kirpal Ram, a resident of Ward No. 4. In his statement, Kirpal Ram said he was going home with his nephew Sukhpreet Singh of Ward No. 11 when they noticed two cars parked a short distance away. An Alto bearing registration PB 24 D 7624 contained Abhishek of Pahlewal, Alam son of Nazir of Birampur and four unidentified persons. A Creta with registration HR-26-FH-8743 carried Rakesh Kumar Neetu, a resident of Ward No. 4 near Khalsa College, and five unidentified people, including a woman. He alleged those occupants were handing out packets and liquor.
Kirpal Ram said that when he objected — pointing out that the conduct violated the election model code of conduct and that the cars bore BJP flags, voter lists for Wards 3 and 5, and posters of Ward No. 5 candidate Joginder Kaur and Ward No. 3 candidate Vijay Kumari — Rakesh Kumar Neetu and Abhishek came out and taunted them. On their signal, a youth emerged from the car with an iron rod and assaulted Sukhpreet while others attacked Kirpal Ram. The attackers then dragged them into an adjacent plot and continued beating them. A woman present urged the assailants not to let them go. When locals began to raise an alarm, the group fled, abandoning the vehicles. Sukhpreet was later admitted to hospital for treatment. Kirpal Ram’s statement implicated candidates Joginder Kaur (Ward 5) and Vijay Kumari (Ward 3) as having instigated the incident.
DSP Daljeet Singh Khakh said both vehicles have been seized. Authorities recovered 53 bottles of liquor, BJP posters, and voter lists for Wards 3 and 5 from the cars.