An Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader, Pankaj Kumar Pappu, has been formally booked by the police in Nabha on charges of theft and criminal conspiracy related to the disappearance of tractor-trailers from the Shambhu border protest site. The development has sent shockwaves through the local political landscape, also leading to a no-confidence motion against his wife, Sujata Chawla, the current chief of the Nabha Municipal Council.
The police action came after farmer leader Jaswinder Singh Longowal, the head of BKU Ekta Azad, filed a complaint. The case, registered at Nabha Kotwali, includes charges of theft of tractor-trailers, receiving stolen goods, destruction of evidence, and criminal conspiracy. The police confirmed that an investigation is underway, following the recovery of parts of two missing tractor-trailers that were allegedly stolen from the Shambhu site back in March.
The incident has drawn strong condemnation from farmer organizations. The Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) recently held a protest outside Pappu’s residence, accusing him of being involved in the theft of tyres and hooks. The matter was also a central point of discussion at a joint meeting of the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha and the KMM at Kisan Bhawan in Chandigarh, where leaders condemned the state government’s failure to trace the missing vehicles. According to Guramneet Singh Mangat of KMM, over 22 trolleys went missing from the protest site following the eviction of farmers from the Shambhu and Khanauri borders.
The political fallout for the ruling party is significant. In a major move, 17 out of 23 councillors of the Nabha Municipal Council have signed a no-confidence motion against Sujata Chawla, indicating a loss of faith and mounting pressure on her and her family. While Pappu has publicly denied the allegations, calling them “baseless,” the registration of the FIR and the no-confidence motion suggest a deepening crisis that could have wider political implications in the region.