Murder-tainted Patiala mayor quits

PATIALA: Hours after Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president and Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Badal directed Patiala mayor to tender his resignation, Jaspal Pardhan was forced to step down from his post.
Preetinder Singh, son of Pardhan, told mediapersons here on Monday night that his father has sent the resignation letter to party secretary and spokesman Dr Daljit Singh Cheema.However, an untraced Pardhan did not meet the media.
Pardhan held on to his post for 48 hours even as he was accused of murdering his alleged 'daughter-in-law' Parmpreet Kaur on Saturday.
The Punjab government has formed a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the murder of Parmpreet.
"Without Pardhan's resignation and his arrest, justice cannot be done. He is politically connected and trying to influence the investigation. Our family members have been receiving threats from the mayor's supporters to withdraw the case," Tejinder Singh, uncle of deceased Parmpreet, had alleged before Pardhan's resignation.
According to sources, the crime wing of Punjab police has set up a SIT team with IG (crime) Shashi Prabha Dwivedi, DIG (Ropar range) R K Jaiswal and in-charge of state crime police station Mohali SP Balvir Singh as its members.
"Patiala police has arrested two accused, including the deceased's husband Harpreet Singh and her mother-in-law Parmjeet Kaur. We have secured their police remand for one day and would produce them in court on Tuesday. The SIT has started its investigations," said IG (Patiala zone) Parmjit Gill.
Family members of Parmpreet have repeatedly been alleging that Pardhan is the father of accused Harpreet, whose mother is the mayor's second wife. Even in the FIR registered in Kotwali police station, cops have named the accused as Harpreet, son of Pardhan and Parmjeet, wife of the mayor. But Pardhan's family members have been denying the allegation and also ruled out the mayor's resignation.
"Cops have seized the passport, driving licence and other ID proofs of the accused. All documents show Tirlochan Singh as the father of Harpreet. The opposition parties have been levelling baseless allegations of second marriage against my father," said Preetinder.
Former Congress MLA Sukhpal Khaira alleged that the police's failure to arrest the mayor has brought to the fore the politicization of police department.
"The delay in Pardhan's arrest shows that police department is being run by politicians and not by law. The government must dismiss the mayor immediately and put him behind bars," said Khaira.