The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has urged the Election Commission on Saturday to transfer the investigation of case registered against Shahkot bypoll Congress candidate Hardev Singh Laddi to the Chandigarh police in connection with an illegal sand mining case.

AAP has also demanded the shifting of the case against Mehatpur Station House Officer (SHO) Parminder Singh Bajwa, who was allegedly booked on Friday for allegedly obstructing the court security staff from discharging their duties.

In a letter submitted to the Chief Electoral Officer, Punjab, Shekhar Raju, the AAP leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira claimed that bypoll has turned into an ugly slugfest accusing the Chief Minister Amarinder Singh for making it a personal issue to settle scores with the SHO.

He said that the turn of events leading to the arrest of SHO Bajwaon Friday by the Jalandhar police was smack of extreme vendetta.

“It is a matter of deep concern for the people of Shahkot as well as the state of Punjab, that while there has been no further investigation in the case registered against the Congress candidate Hardev Singh Laddi despite grave charges of illegal mining, but the police took no time to arrest Bajwa at Jalandhar for minor offences”, said Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Punjab Assembly, Sukhpal Singh Khiara.

Needless to mention, the Punjab police is known to concoct fictitious complaints, fabricate evidence and indulge in falsely implicating people, Khaira added in the letter.

He said that real cause of the hurried arrest of SHO is actually an outcome of Amarinder Singh’s personal hatred against the police officer as he dared to publically reply to the CM’s charges of immoral character.

The partial attitude of the Punjab police and the civil administration at Shahkot also stood exposed the day CM accompanied accused Hardev Singh Laddi for filling of nomination papers, before the Returning Officer (RO), Khaira added.

Since there are non bailable sections of illegal mining against the Congress candidate Hardev Singh Laddi he should have been arrested by the police that day.

If Bajwa can be arrested at the drop of the hat, what prevents the police and RO from arresting Hardev Singh Laddi? questioned LoP.

Khiara also demanded that the EC should immediately initiate strict action against Amarinder Singh accusing him flouting the election code of conduct by accompanying Hardev Singh Laddi for filing nomination papers.