By IANS,
Chandigarh : With Punjab Police failing to trace a minor girl who was allegedly kidnapped from Punjab’s Faridkot town last month, the Congress Wednesday questioned Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s silence over the issue.
Punjab Congress president and former chief minister Amarinder Singh Wednesday questioned the “timid silence of the chief minister, Parkash Singh Badal, and his Deputy Chief Minister son Sukhbir Badal”, over the abduction of the teenaged girl at gunpoint in broad daylight from her house in front of her parents and other relatives.
The girl, a Class 10 student of a local convent school, was allegedly kidnapped from her house Sep 24 by an armed gang led by local goon Nishan Singh. Her parents were assaulted by the gang and had to be rushed to hospital.
“Running away from the situation does not relieve you of your responsibilities towards your people,” Amarinder said, while referring to reports that the chief minister and the deputy chief minister had cancelled their tour to Faridkot in the aftermath of the abduction and the subsequent public outrage.
Faridkot town, 250 km from here, has seen protests from traders, activists and common people against the girl’s kidnapping.
The victim was allegedly kidnapped by the same gangster in March this year also. She returned home only in August after the police traced her in Kharar town, 15 km from Chandigarh.
The police had booked Nishan Singh on charges of rape and kidnapping. He has 16 criminal cases pending against him.
A dropout from a leading boarding school, Nishan Singh is said to be well-connected in ruling Akali Dal circles.
Amarinder Singh said that instead of tracing the girl and taking the issue seriously, police were making the case to be one of elopement.
He alleged that Akali Dal leaders were trying to shield the gangster.
“It was clear that some Akalis were helping the abductors from the way the police circulated a letter, which was clearly got written under duress, and photographs to claim that the girl had gone with the known criminal of her own will and married him,” he pointed out.
He said the role of police has been questionable in this case.