Cong MLA’s ‘aide’ facing illegal mining charge too

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, May 9

Coming as yet another embarrassment for the Congress — which is already embroiled in illegal mining controversies — ahead of the Shahkot bypoll, SHO Mehatpur Parminder S Bajwa has alleged that Balwinder Singh, reportedly a front man of Faridkot MLA Kushaldeep Dhillon, was booked at the Shahkot police station under these charges about three months back.

The case comes to light less than three weeks ahead of the bypoll when party candidate Hardev S Laddi Sherowalia already has an FIR against him for mining and its former minister Rana Gurjit Singh too had faced similar allegations and had resigned on moral grounds.

Bajwa, who was then posted as SHO Shahkot, had said that FIR number 24 had been registered against KBM Contractor, Model Town, Ludhiana, and Balwinder Singh of Puri Colony, Faridkot.

The FIR had been registered in Shahkot under Section 21 of the Mines and Minerals Act and Sections 379 and 427 of the IPC.

The FIR dated February 12 mentions that though the company and Balwinder Singh had taken a mining contract for Chak Tarewal village in Moga and had not been allotted any quarry in Jalandhar, he had been indulging in illegal mining at Taharpur and Baupur villages of Shahkot.

The matter was brought to the notice of Deputy Commissioner Jalandhar by numberdar Gurbhej Singh, Jaskaran Singh and Gurmel Singh, all of Chak Tarewal village, on February 7.

The next day, DC Jalandhar issued directions to kanungo Manjit Singh and patwari Gurdeep Singh. Demarcation proved that the contractors had indulged in illegal sand mining on the 33 kanal land falling in Shahkot villages.

The SDM prepared the report and sent it across to the DC after which the FIR was registered on the complaint of mining block officer Narinderpal Singh.

Balwinder Singh, when contacted on his phone, sought the identity of this caller first and then said that it was a wrong number.

MLA Dhillon, who reportedly is abroad these days, took the call. Though there are reports that Balwinder has been his manager for the past 10 years, he countered this by saying, “Balwinder is actually a freelance insurance broker at Faridkot. He is only my supporter and worker. So I know him. But I have nothing to do directly with this FIR, which in any case is false.”

Deputy Commissioner, Jalandhar, Varinder Kumar Sharma said, “I do not remember anything off hand in this case as it is an old one. I keep getting complaints on a daily basis and try to get them disposed of quickly.”

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