Ahead of the zila parishad and panchayat samiti elections, gangster-turned-politician Gurpreet Singh Sekhon has been taken into custody. Police say it is a “preventive measure”.
Two of Sekhon’s family members are contesting the elections as Independent candidates from the Ferozeshah and Bazidpur zones, with the Shiromani Akali Dal supporting them.
Sekhon was held late Thursday night. On Friday, several of his supporters protested outside the Kulgarhi police station, blocked the Ferozepur–Ludhiana road and shouted slogans against the police and the AAP government. They demanded that he be released immediately.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (Rural) Karan Sharma said Sekhon was detained as a preventive step along with two of his associates. “Today, he will be produced in the SDM court for further proceedings,” the officer said.
A few hours before his arrest, Sekhon uploaded a video on social media, saying he expected the police to act against him. In the video, he claimed the police were under pressure because local AAP leaders were worried about the growing public support he was receiving.
SAD district president Joginder Singh Jindu called the situation the height of “anarchy”, accusing the AAP government of “destroying the democratic system” by indulging in political vendetta. He alleged that the local AAP MLA had “accepted his defeat” and acted out of frustration.
Arshdeep Singh, a member of Sekhon’s team, said they were getting strong support from voters in the Zila Parishad polls. He claimed the AAP leadership was now using the police to intimidate them because Sekhon’s candidates were likely to win.
Earlier, Sekhon had announced that he planned to contest the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections. He said he had left his past behind and now wanted to serve the people of his area.
Sekhon was one of the accused in the high-profile Nabha jailbreak case of 2016, when the SAD-BJP government was in power. During the incident, 16 armed men stormed the prison and freed Sekhon along with five criminals and two terrorists.
The zila parishad and panchayat samiti polls in Punjab are scheduled for December 14. Counting of votes will be held three days after polling.
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