- Punjab High Court has accused the state Election Commission of bias in local body polls
- Audio clip has purportedly revealed police officer ordering that Opposition nominations be blocked
- Court has ordered a neutral agency to verify election audio evidence and remove officer from duty
The Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab has been hit by two sharp setbacks in a span of days. The Punjab and Haryana High Court has made strong observations against the state machinery -- first over alleged lapses in the local bodies elections, and then over an unlawful detention case linked with political rivalry.
In the first case, the High Court pulled up the Punjab Election Commission over its handling of the zila parishad and block samiti elections to be held on December 14.
The controversy centers an audio clip involving Patiala top cop Varun Sharma. In the clip, Sharma is purportedly heard ordering junior officers to stop Opposition candidates from filing their nomination for the Zila parishad and Block Samiti elections.
In a detailed order, Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sanjiv Berry noted that the SEC failed to meet the standards of neutrality expected during elections.
The bench remarked that the Commission "ought to have risen to the occasion" and taken immediate steps to eliminate even the perception of bias.
The judges said the Commission should have entrusted the verification of the audio and video evidence to a neutral agency outside the state government's control and should have removed SSP Varun Sharma from election duty pending inquiry. The court's remarks amount to a stern reminder on maintaining the sanctity of the electoral process.
In another blow to the administration, the High Court took to task the police and district officials of Ferozepur for allegedly obstructing the release of gangster-turned-politician Gurpreet Singh Sekhon despite bail being ready for submission.
The matter, heard by Justice Sanjay Vashisth, stemmed from a petition filed by Sekhon's mother, who alleged that her son's detention was politically motivated due to an ongoing dispute with a village sarpanch aligned with the ruling party.
The court expressed concern that Sekhon's lawyer, who had the necessary surety documents, was reportedly barred from completing the paperwork - leading to him being sent to jail on December 12.
Calling the delay "serious" and "unacceptable," the court ordered the Deputy Commissioner of Police to personally ensure the immediate completion of bail formalities.
Any further delay, the bench warned, will be treated as a violation of fundamental rights, and strict action will follow.
With the local body polls around the corner, the court's remarks have not only raised questions over administrative neutrality but have also put the government on notice that any lapse, perceived or real, will now face far stricter judicial oversight.
