Ropar cops serve notice on Kumar Vishwas, Alka Lamba

Tribune News Service

Ropar, April 20

A team of Ropar police today reached the homes of renowned poet Kumar Vishwas and Congress leader Alka Lamba in Ghaziabad and Delhi, respectively, in connection with a case registered over “inflammatory statements” against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Both have been served notice to join the investigation. Vishwas as well as Lamba, who had been with the AAP in the past, had lately been quite vocal in criticising the AAP national convener. Vishwas had posted a video in the run-up to the state Assembly elections in which he had alleged Kejriwal used to meet sympathisers of terrorists during the 2017 Assembly polls.

Lamba, who before switching to the Congress won as an AAP MLA in 2015 from Chandni Chowk, during a TV debate asked Kejriwal to reply to Vishwas’ allegations.

The district police through a press release stated that a ‘complainant’ had alleged that “he and AAP supporters accompanying him during his visits to villages were called as Khalistanis by masked men and it happened after inflammatory statements by the two against the AAP national convener on news channels and social media platforms, alleging AAP links with separatist elements”.

Interestingly, the police have refused to disclose the name of the complainant despite repeated queries. The FIR copy is also not uploaded on the police website even after 10 days of registering the case. A case under Sections 153 (Wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups), 505 (statements conducing to public mischief), 505 (2) , 116 r/w 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (guilty of rioting), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 341 (wrongful restraint), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC and 125 Representation of Peoples Act was registered against Vishwas and Lamba on April 12 at the Ropar Sadar police station. Both the accused have been asked to appear in person before a three-member Special Investigation Team led by Superintendent of Police (Investigation) HS Atwal at 10 am on April 26 at the Sadar police station for investigation.

Criticising the police action, Opposition leaders have alleged the misuse of the state police by Kejriwal. Former cabinet minister and SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema tweeted: “The AAP is misusing the Punjab Police to suppress the voice of political opponents.”

Complainant’s name not revealed

The Ropar police said a ‘complainant’ had alleged “he and AAP supporters accompanying him during his visits to villages were called Khalistanis by masked men. It happened after ‘inflammatory statements’ by Kumar Vishwas and Alka Lamba against Arvind Kejriwal, alleging AAP links with separatist elements”. The police have, however, refused to disclose the name of the complainant.

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