Kin protest ‘clean chit’ to 2 accused

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, August 16

A large number of people under the banner of the joint action committee took out a march in Muktsar town on Thursday and alleged that the administration and police were trying to give a clean chit to two accused in the double murder case of Jawahrewala village.

Notably, two Dalits – Kirandeep Singh and his sister-in-law Mini Rani – were allegedly shot dead by some Congressmen, including Palwinder Singh ‘Pappa’ and Sukhvinder Singh ‘Duggi’, over a dispute of a street construction under the MGNREGA in the village on July 13. Besides, Kirandeep’s brothers Dharminder Singh and Gurjeet Singh, too, had suffered bullet injuries.

Notably, the victims also owed allegiance to the Congress. They had opposed the sarpanch candidate backed by Pappa and Duggi, who eventually lost the election in December last year. This resulted into an enmity between the two factions.

The police had booked 12 persons, including Pappa, Duggi, Prabhjot Singh (president of Youth Congress, Muktsar block), Angrej Singh, Jasvir Singh, Hardam Singh, Gujjar Singh, Gabbar Singh, Ishvar Singh, Sandeep Singh, Ranjit Singh and Bindu Singh. As of now, seven accused Pappa, Duggi, Hardam, Bindu, Sandeep, Ishvar and Angrej have been arrested.

‘Security to victim’s kin withdrawn’  

Manga Azad, convener, joint action committee, claimed that the police on Thursday withdrew the security cover of Mangal Singh, a cousin of the deceased who was getting threats from the accused. “Two security personnel were attached with Mangal after the murder, but they were called back on Thursday. It is a serious matter,” he added.