Hoshiarpur, May 27
Two BJP candidates and three others have been booked in Garhshankar for allegedly distributing liquor to influence voters ahead of Municipal Council elections and attacking a man who objected to the activity, officials said on Wednesday.The incident reportedly took place on Tuesday, hours before polling for the Garhshankar Municipal Council elections.
The Police said the case has been registered at the Garhshankar police station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Representation of the People Act, and the Excise Act. No arrests have been made so far. The accused have been identified as Abhishek of Pahlewal, Alam of Birmapur, Rakesh Kumar alias Neetu of Garhshankar, BJP candidate from Ward 5 Joginder Kaur, and BJP candidate from Ward 3 Vijay Kumari.
According to police, Kripal Ram, a resident of Ambedkar Nagar in Garhshankar, along with his nephew Sukhpreet Singh, noticed two vehicles parked near a park in the PUDA Colony area. The complainants alleged that liquor was being distributed among voters from the vehicles.
Officials said the vehicles carried BJP flags and also contained voter lists and campaign material. Police added that when Kripal Ram objected to the alleged activity, an argument broke out, and Sukhpreet Singh was allegedly attacked with a sharp edged weapon.
Following the incident, local residents gathered at the spot, after which the accused fled, leaving the vehicles behind, police said. The Police have seized both vehicles and recovered several liquor bottles along with a sharp edged weapon during the search operation. Further investigation into the matter is underway, officials added.
