Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MlA from Talwandi Sabo Baljinder Kaur has been declared guilty for having double votes, besides giving false information to the election panel.
The matter will now be forwarded to Punjab election authorities and eventually to the Election Commission of India (ECI) which will take the final call in the matter.
It is believed that AAP’s firebrand leader may even lose her membership from the Vidhan Sabha.
In a probe conducted by Talwandi Sabo Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM)-cum-Electoral Registration Officer, Kaur has prima facie been found guilty in a dual vote case. Bathinda-based RTI activist Harmilap Grewal has submitted a complaint against AAP MlA in August 2017, and SDM Varinder Singh had started probing the matter in November 2017.
The SDM, in a communiqué to Bathinda District Election Officer, has requested to initiate a complete and comprehensive inquiry into the two votes by Baljinder Kaur “since the preliminary enquiry had prima facie indicted Kaur with regard to the same”.
“After conducting enquiry of the complaint, Baljinder Kauir, daughter of Amarjit Singh, who is father by adoption on the basis of adoption deed, has got the vote prepared in 2005 vide enumeration form,” read the SDM’s letter.
SDM pointed that in that year, neither the photo was affixed on the enumeration form nor any identity proof was required, and only signatures of the persons were obtained on the same. According to the record, the said vote was prepared by showing the residence as House No 273, he added
“On June 27, 2011, Baljinder Kaur, daughter of Darshan Singh - who is her biological father, got prepared her vote by filling Form No 6 showing her residence as House No 272-A, and school certificate was attached being as proof,” added the letter.
In addition to this, on August 12, 2014, the vote of Baljinder Kaur, daughter of Amarjit Singh, was put into absent voter list by the Returning Officer.
“After consideration of the circumstances and scrutiny of the documents submitted, the undersigned is of the opinion that as per record, both the votes, that is vote made on enumeration form and as well as vote made via Form No 6, are of the same voter, that is Baljinder Kaur...Thus it is clear that Baljinder Kaur has deliberately made false statement before the competent authorities,” read the letter.
The complainant Harmilap Grewal said that he would soon approach the Vidhan Sabha Speaker to demand the cancellation of Kaur’s membership.
Baljinder Kaur has all along been refuting the charges maintaining that the matter had already been investigated by the ECI and nothing wrong was found. She had claimed that allegations were levelled against her time and again to defame her.
The case cropped up during the filing of her nomination papers in Vidhan Sabha Elections of Punjab in February 2017, following which the inquiry was marked. Earlier also, the matter was raised during 2014 by-election for Talwandi Sabo constituency.
The then Bathinda DC Diprava lakra had, at that time, maintained that the district authorities had conducted an inquiry in the past where it was found that Baljinder Kaur had only one vote.
Grewal has accused Baljinder Kaur of getting her nomination to the state assembly on a fake vote and has demanded from the CEO to conduct an inquiry into the serious irregularity.
He stated that as per Hindu Adoption Act, once a person was adopted by anyone, he or she could not go back to their biological father without following a lengthy legal process.
Grewal had alleged that Baljinder got a fresh vote made in 2011, where she named her father as Darshan Singh (biological father). He alleged that she got a vote made earlier in 2002, where she had named her father as Amarjit Singh. Grewal alleged that she had signed an affidavit in 2007, showing her to be the adopted daughter of Amarjit.