AAP Candidate for Local Body Polls Found Dead in Punjab

The police are suspecting it to be a case of murder. A search for the accused is underway.

AAP candidate Harvinder Singh Hinda for Zila Parishad polls was found murdered in Bathinda, Punjab.

(Photo: Screenshot/ YouTube)

An Aam Aadmi Party candidate for a local body poll was found dead at his home in village Jethuke in Bathinda district of Punjab on Monday, 10 September morning with the police suspecting that he was killed.

The deceased, Harvinder Singh Hinda (42) had previously filed nomination papers from Gill Kalan Zila Parishad zone.

Following the incident, Bathinda SSP Nanak Singh told PTI:

We came to know about the killing of Harvinder Singh Hinda on Monday morning. There was an injury mark on his head. We are investigating the matter.

What We Know So Far

His wife, Kiranjit Kaur told the police that on the night of 9 September, Hinda had returned home with three men after having dinner at a dhaba, Hindustan Times reported.

According to the report, Hinda had told his wife and son to sleep on the first floor, as the three men were going to spend the night in their house.

The following morning, Kaur discovered Hinda dead and the three men had vanished.

The police also told the Hindustan Times that the CCTV installed at the Dhaba where all the four men including Hinda went, was out of order. Therefore, the search for the three unidentified men is underway.

It Was a Political Murder: AAP MLA

AAP MLA and Leader of Opposition in Punjab Assembly Harpal Singh Cheema sought an immediate arrest of those who killed Hinda and accused the Congress of trying to win the Zila Parishad elections by using force and threatening people, PTI reported.

AAP candidate Harvinder Singh Hinda was brutally killed. We condemn this incident and we demand from Punjab government to immediately arrest those who were behind this.

Harpal Singh Cheema, AAP MLA

Cheema also added that Hinda’s death was a political murder. Other AAP leaders from Punjab condemned Hinda’s death and expressed their anger on Twitter.

Co-president AAP Punjab, Balbir Singh in tweet demanded cancellation of the polls and deployment of central forces to restore order.

Sukhpal Singh Khaira, an MLA from Bholath, Punjab asked for the immediate arrest of the culprits.

AAP district president Navdeep Singh Jeeda also told Hindustan Times:

Though a post-mortem has been conducted, we will not cremate the body till the accused are arrested. We will protest with the body outside the Rampura Sadar police station.

Navdeep Singh Jeeda, AAP district president

Elections to Zila Parishads and Panchayat Samitis in Punjab is slated to be held on 19 September. Counting will take place on 22 September.

(With inputs from PTI and Hindustan Times)