Punjab bypoll: EC suspends Tarn Taran SSP Ravjot Grewal after SAD alleges 'misuse' of police

Just three days ahead of voting in Punjab's Tarn Taran assembly bypoll, the Election Commission on Saturday suspended the district's Senior Superintendent of Police Ravjot Kaur Grewal.

She was posted as Tarn Taran SSP in September.

Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar has been assigned the additional charge of Tarn Taran SSP with immediate effect, said an official statement.

Though no reason has been mentioned for the suspension of Grewal, the action against the SSP came after Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal lodged a complaint with the Punjab Chief Electoral Officer against the officer.

Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party questioned the suspension of the SSP, claiming that the action was taken without any ''concrete complaint.'' AAP leader Baltej Pannu alleged that the EC was acting at the behest of the BJP.

He claimed the opposition parties were ''unnerved'' by the ''immense'' support of the people for the AAP in the bypoll.

SAD president Badal had accused the SSP of using the police to lodge false FIRs against his party's leaders and cadre to stop them from campaigning for the November 11 bypoll.

He hailed the EC's move on Saturday, saying the AAP's ''gambit to influence the bypoll by misusing'' the police force has been thwarted.

In his letter to the Punjab CEO last month, Badal had alleged that the local police were being ''misused'' for the political gains of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party.

He had alleged that as AAP has realised that it cannot win the bye-election ''fairly'', it has made the SSP its ''de facto'' in-charge in Tarn Taran.

''The SSP is registering false cases against Akali sarpanches and workers in order to intimidate them and prevent them from participating in poll activities'', Badal had alleged.

The SAD had claimed that politically motivated FIRs were registered against its leaders and workers, which indicates a deliberate design to ''harass, silence and restrict the opposition's campaign activity''.

The party had alleged that the official machinery was being ''misused'' against SAD candidate Sukhwinder Kaur Randhawa, her family members and supporters.

''How can free, fair, and impartial elections be conducted in Tarn Taran when police power is being weaponised against one political party to cripple its campaign,'' SAD had written to the Punjab CEO.

The opposition party had also held a sit-in against the police's ''action'' against its workers and leaders.

Badal had accused the SSP of acting like ''a stooge'' of AAP and warned her that she would be held accountable if she crossed the line and acted as a ''political agent'' of the ruling party.

This month again, the SAD filed another complaint with the Election Commission, alleging that Kanchanpreet Kaur, the daughter of SAD candidate Randhawa, was being chased by two police officials in plain clothes who were later caught.

In the complaint, the SAD had said that this incident clearly amounts to an ''attempt to intimidate and threaten'' the candidate and her family, allegedly at the behest of the state machinery.

The party had demanded the transfer of the SSP or administrative action to maintain neutrality in the electoral process.

''SSP 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,'' Badal demanded.

He also urged other civil and police officers of the constituency not to follow the ''unconstitutional'' orders of the AAP leadership and to ensure free and fair elections.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Pargat Singh too welcomed the suspension of the SSP, calling it a good decision even if taken late.

He urged the EC to ensure that the by-election is conducted in a free and fair manner.

This action, he said, will boost the morale of workers and other political parties participating in the Tarn Taran elections.

Alleging that the AAP turned Punjab into a ''police state'', he said the Mann government ''blatantly misused'' the police force during elections -- an issue he had raised in the Assembly session.

Polling for the Tarn Taran bypoll will be held on November 11, and the results will be announced on November 14. The seat fell vacant following the death of AAP MLA Kashmir Singh Sohal in June.