With the police officer who registered case of illegal mining against Congress candidate for Shahkot bye-elections facing flak from  ruling party over his alleged links with Opposition parties, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Thursday sought protection for all police and civil officials in Assembly constituency.

In a memorandum submitted to the Election Commission, the SAD said in the manner in which  Mehetpur’s station house officer (SHO) Parminder Singh was vilified by the Congress government had demoralised the entire official machinery and dashed all hopes of a free and fair bye-poll to be held on 28 May.

The SAD spokesman Daljit Singh Cheema said unless remedial action was taken by the EC, free and fair elections were not possible in the constituency.

The memorandum said the Congress government had sent a clear message to officials that in case they did not toe the party’s line they would also meet the same fate as the Mehatpur SHO.

The memorandum said the EC had asked the state government to give a panel of officers to be posted as SHO Mehatpur following which Bajwa was given this charge.

“The officer was also forwarded a complaint regarding illegal mining being done by Congress Shahkot assembly by-poll candidate Hardev Singh Laadi for necessary action. SHO Bajwa registered a case against Laadi after careful perusal of facts including videographic evidence submitted against the Congress leader”, the memorandum said.

Cheema said despite the fact that the case against Laadi was registered on solid grounds on May 4, the entire government machinery took it upon itself to discredit the police officer and put pressure upon him to rescind his decision.

He said this was done despite the fact that a non-bailable case had been registered against Laadi. “Even the Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar as well as Chief Minister  Amarinder Singh resorted to a vilification campaign against the officer by terming him as mentally unstable and amoral”, Cheema added while demanding immediate arrest of Congress candidate Laadi.

On Monday, CM Amarinder had alleged Mehatpur SHO had links with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and SAD.  He had claimed the police officer had a telephonic conversation with leader of Opposition in Punjab Assembly, Sukhpal Singh Khaira and SAD  leader Cheema before the registration of the case against Congress candidate on the charges of illegal mining.