With the arrest of notorious gangster Ravi Deol, the veiled nexus between the politicians and criminals have come to the fore, heating up the Punjab political scene.
A day after Deol accused an Akali leader of pushing him into the world of crime, SAD veteran and former Union Minister Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa on Sunday accused the Congress leader Rahul Inder Sidhu of having relations with the gangster Ravi Deol, who is currently in police remand till February 11.
Wanted in 12 cases, Deol surrendered in a Sangrur court on January 30. He was produced in the court on Saturday, and it was then that he made the allegations against Dhindsa’s OSD (officer on special duty) Amanveer Singh Cherry, and his close friend Manu, who works with Education Department, for making him a gangster.
Deol, after coming out of court, had said: “They are real gangsters. They used me as their muscleman in their illegal acts. When I refused, they threatened me with dire consequences as both are very influential in Sangrur due to their proximity with senior SAD leaders.”
However, both Cherry and Manu have denied Deol’s allegations.
Dhindsa, who is the father of Punjab’s former Finance Minister and sitting MLA Parminder Dhindsa, has accused Rahul Inder Sidhu and another Congress leader of having relations with the gangster. Sidhu is the son of Punjab’s former Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal.
He alleged that since Bhattal was preparing for parliamentary elections from Sangrur, her son got Deol surrendered. “Deol has levelled false allegations against my former OSD Amanveer Cherry to tarnish Dhindsa family’s image as Cherry is our relative,” said Dhaindsa, who is SAD secretary general.
“If anyone wants to contest against me, he or she can contest but should not level such baseless allegations,” said Dhindsa, who has been former MP from Sangrur.
Dhindsa also alleged that Sangrur police was working on the directions of Congress leaders, who are meeting Deol in police custody and asking him to level allegations against Cherry. “I will meet senior authorities of Punjab Government and the Centre for high level inquiry or CBI probe of the matter,” said Dhindsa.
Meanwhile, Sidhu has denied the allegations saying that he has no role in Deol’s surrender.