Mehatpur SHO Bajwa taken into custody for 'assaulting' cop

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Mehatpur SHO Parminder Singh Bajwa, who had booked Congress' Shahkot assembly bypoll candidate in an illegal sand mining case recently, was today taken into custody by the Jalandar police for allegedly assaulting an on-duty government official.

The Congress nominee for the May 28 by-election, Hardev Singh Laddi Sherowalia, among others, was booked for alleged illegal sand mining in different villages of Jalandhar district.

"He (Bajwa) pushed and assaulted an assistant sub-inspector rank police officer during the frisking process at the court premises (in Jalandhar)," Commissioner of Police, Jalandhar, Praveen Kumar Sinha said.

"He was carrying his licensed revolver at the time of being frisked and tried to conceal it before the on-duty police officer when he checked him," he said.

"Bajwa has been taken into police custody as he pushed and assaulted a public servant, thus preventing him from discharging his duty. Being a police officer himself, Bajwa knows the rules, but violated them," Sinha said told PTI over phone.

Bajwa had gone to the district court to seek security for himself as he feels there a threat "from unknown people", his counsel said.

The SHO had earlier said he would not sign the case cancellation report of the FIR against MLA Laddi before the ilaqa magistrate.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had earlier described the arbitrary registration of FIR by the SHO against the Congress candidate as part of a political conspiracy.

He had also accused him of being in touch with leaders of opposition SAD and AAP.

The Shahkot bypoll was necessitated following the death of MLA Ajit Singh Kohar.