Shahkot turnout 76%, former minister held with ''weapon''

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Shahkot, May 28

Former state home minister Brij Bhupinder Lalli was arrested for allegedly carrying a weapon to a polling station at Sallah Nagar in Malsian during the Shahkot bypoll on Monday. He was booked under relevant provisions of the Representation of People's Act and IPC.

Meanwhile, an impressive 76.6 per cent voter turnout was registered.

Lalli had joined the Shiromani Akali Dal after leaving the Congress 10 days ago.

Read: Polling peaceful in Shahkot

It was the same polling station where Congress candidate Hardev Laddi cast his vote in the morning. Lalli, whose turban got tossed in the scuffle that ensued, has been detained at Malsian police post where the presiding officer of the polling station is getting a complaint lodged.

Lalli was detained shortly before 3 pm. SAD candidate Naib S Kohar came to meet him at the police post and said “Lalli was being victimised because he left the Congress in my support”.  

Lalli was taken in the SAD fold by party chief Sukhbir Badal on May 18. Since then he had tagged along him in Kohar's support in all rallies and helped SAD in the Lohian belt. 

Confirming that FIR has been lodged, SSP Gurpreet Bhullar said Lalli has been booked under Section 188 of the IPC and Sections 132, 134-B of the Representation of People’s Act. 

He has been charged with unauthorised entry and unauthorised carrying of weapon inside polling booth on complaint of presiding officers Ram Gopal and Harish Kumar Beri of booth numbers 90, 91 of Shahkot, the SSP added.

Advocate Karampal Gill who came to Malsian police station for Brij Bhupinder Lalli's bail said all offences against his client are bailable. "My client's turban was tossed which is non-available offence," he said, adding that Lalli's security was withdrawn by police after he joined the Akali Dal and therefore kept his own weapon.

Gill claimed that the weapon was handed over to security there by Lalli, so there is no violation.