Bathinda: The Punjab and Haryana high court on Tuesday ordered a fresh election for the two top posts of the Baghapurana block samiti in Moga district on March 28 under the supervision of the deputy commissioner (DC) and in the presence of an independent observer.The court’s order comes on a petition filed by 15 members of the block samiti—13 from the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and two independents—who alleged irregularities in the March 17 election for the chairperson and vice-chairperson positions. The petitioners claimed they were illegally detained and prevented from voting, sparking protests at the block development panchayat officer’s office in Baghapurana. While local AAP MLA Amritpal Singh Sukhanand had previously announced that two party members were elected, the election process was officially declared incomplete due to “law and order issues”. The controversy deepened after sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Babandeep Singh Walia sent a letter to chief secretary K A P Sinha, accusing Moga DC Sagar Setia of harassment and pressuring him to declare the results. DC Setia dismissed the allegations as false, saying that the SDM only raised the complaint on March 22, five days after the election. The high court questioned the SDM, who was ordered to appear in person, about how his letter came into public domain. The court remarked that if the SDM felt pressured, he should have addressed the matter internally. The court directed the state govt to ensure the presence of all elected panchayat samiti members on March 28. “Even if someone is arrested or has a case registered against them, their presence must still be ensured,” the court ordered while appointing the independent observer. Advocate Parambir Singh Sani, representing the SAD members, said the court issued these directions after reviewing the facts of the case. While the SDM was unavailable for comment, DC Setia said, “As per the directions of the honorable high court, the election will be conducted under my supervision in a free and fair manner on March 28. Every eligible elected member will be ensured the opportunity to be present.”
