Punjab: Tarn Taran SSP Suspended After Akali Dal Accuses Her of Being AAP's Polling Agent

Chandigarh: The Election Commission of India (ECI) issued a notice to immediately suspend Tarn Taran Senior Superintendent of Police Ravjot Kaur Grewal on Saturday, just three days ahead of Assembly by-elections in the district. According to an official statement, Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar has been assigned the additional charge of Tarn Taran's SSP with immediate effect.

Although the election body did not mention any official reason for the SSP's suspension, this development comes after Sukhbir Singh Badal, the president of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), filed a complaint against her. In a complaint to Punjab Chief Electoral Office, Badal had accused Grewal of lodging fake and baseless FIRs against his party leaders and workers in order to intimidate them and prevent them from campaigning in the by-elections. He had also alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was using the local police for political gains.

Notably, Grewal had been assigned to the SSP's post less than two months ago in September.

SAD Welcomes The Suspension

The Shiromani Akali Dal welcomed the suspension of Grewal. Its president Sukhbir Singh Badal said the officer had been vitiating the election atmosphere by acting as a polling agent of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). “She was resorting to registration of false cases against Akali leaders and its workers and subjecting them to brazenly illegal detention and intimidation,” he added in an X post. Thanking the ECI for acting promptly on SAD's complaint, Badal said, “Ravjot Grewal’s criminally partisan conduct calls for initiation of a formal probe against her as well as resultant disciplinary action including dismissal from service.”

Tarn Taran By-elections

The by-elections is scheduled to be held in Tarn Taran on November 11. The by-elections were necessitated after the seat fell vacant following the death of 66-year-old Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Kashmir Singh Sohal. The MLA, who was battling cancer, died on June 27. The results of the by-elections is scheduled to be announced on November 14.

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