Sukhpal Singh Khaira

The horrendous death of Arshdeep Kaur due to molestation in an Orbit bus yesterday, calls for abetment of murder charges against Sukhbir Badal, besides immediate arrest of the accused :- Khaira

It appears that the junior Badal has started to replicate the “Goonda-Raj” prevalent in Punjab, in the buses owned by his family. The gory incident of death/murder of a 15 year old minor Arshdeep Kaur in an Orbit bus, is a clear indicator of the reign of terror let loose by his goons and staff operating his fleet of buses.

As per reports, Arshdeep Kaur and her mother Shinder Kaur travelling from Moga to Bathinda, were forced to jump/pushed off the Orbit bus, as the “Goonda’s” and the staff tried to molest and rape the girl in broadaylight. The staff instead of helping the girl joined the molesters in harassing her, forcing the mother and girl to jump off the bus to save their modesty. While the girl died on the spot, Shinder Kaur her mother sustained serious injuries and has been hospitalized. The terror of Orbit company owned by the Badals is so great, that the police took 12 hours to register an FIR in the ugly incident.

This is not the first time that the Badal owned buses have indulged in high handedness or broken the law. There have been many incidents of these buses running over innocent poor people, leading to protests and burning of these buses by angry mobs. The said Badal buses not only blatantly break speed limits, harass NRI passengers but never pay toll tax at any of the barriers.

Needless to mention, the entire transport trade has been hijacked by the Badal family by coercing small private operators out of the trade. Currently the Badal led mafia own over a dozen transport companies, with hundreds of luxury Volvo and Mercedes buses. While the state owned transport companies like the Punjab Roadways and PRTC are running into losses of hundreds of crores, the Badal owned companies are making huge profits through gross misuse of state machinery and authority.

The horrific incident of molestation and death of a minor girl, also raises a big question mark over the so called “Nanhi-Chaan” programme of Harsimrat Kaur Badal. What is point of propagating “Nanhi-Chaan” in media, if young girls continue to loose their lives at the hands of Badal sponsored “Goondas”? Will Harsimrat Kaur ensure justice to the family of victim Arshdeep Kaur, by taking strict criminal action against her husband and Orbit Transport company?

Therefore, keeping in view the gravity of the incident and death of Arshdeep Kaur, Congress demands stringent criminal action against Sukhbir Badal for abetment to murder, besides booking and arresting the other accused.Our demand is justified as according to the law whenever any company commits any fraud or criminality, the directors/owners of the said company are booked under criminal sections. We cite the infamous Sahara investment scandal, in which the Supreme Court has jailed Subroto Roy for cheating and frauding investors. The death of Arshdeep Kaur is a much more grievous and alarming in nature than the Subroto Roy fraud case, hence abetment to murder charges must be slapped against the junior Badal.

Sukhpal Singh Khaira

Ex-MLA