Ludhiana: A high-profile Congress leader and close associate of former cabinet minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu has been booked for allegedly assaulting municipal labourers, sparking claims of a “politically motivated” crackdown by the ruling party.Inderjit Singh Indi, the husband of Ward 61 councillor Parminder Kaur, faces multiple charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) following an incident near Saggu Chowk. It’s claimed in the first-information report (FIR) that a municipal junior engineer initially requested police protection after unidentified men allegedly threatened workers and obstructed road construction. The case took a contentious turn when police revealed the FIR against Indi was based on “secret information” gathered at the scene, rather than a direct complaint from a victim. The Congress has slammed the move as baseless. Sanjay Talwar, District Congress President, accused police of “deliberately harassing” workers to please political bosses. Similarly, Mamta Ashu, wife of the former minister, pointed out the absence of a visible complainant or medical evidence of assault.Indi’s counsel, Vijay Mahendru, who has applied for anticipatory bail, noted that the charges mirror a December 2025 case where Indi was accused of assaulting a corporation worker. In that instance, the court released him, labeling the arrest “illegal.” Division Number 8 police continue to investigate as political tensions simmer across the district.
