Jammu, Sept 10: Harsh Dev Singh, a prominent and well-educated politician who has served as a Cabinet Minister and MLA for three consecutive terms, is running as the candidate for the Jammu Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) from the Chenani Assembly constituency. Despite his extensive experience and educational background, Singh is currently embroiled in controversy due to three criminal cases registered against him.
Singh’s legal troubles are highlighted in the affidavit he submitted alongside his nomination papers for the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly elections. According to the affidavit, there are three FIRs lodged against him at the Udhampur Police Station:
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- FIR No. 366/2018, dated July 23, 2018, involving charges under Sections 188, 353, 147, 148, and 504 of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC).
- FIR No. 121/2018, dated March 17, 2018, concerning Sections 323, 147, 504, 506, 294, and 298 of the RPC.
- FIR No. 34/2017, dated October 21, 2017, related to Sections 353, 188, and 506 of the RPC.
Singh has contested these allegations, describing the cases as politically motivated attacks orchestrated by the District Administration of Udhampur. To date, none of these FIRs have been brought to trial in a court of law.
Despite these legal issues, Singh boasts an impressive educational background with a Law Degree and an MA in English from Jammu University, as well as an advanced course in International Humanitarian Law from Harvard University. His financial disclosures reveal that he possesses Rs 13.25 lakh in movable assets and Rs 25 lakh in immovable assets. His spouse has assets amounting to Rs 79 lakh in immovable assets and Rs 38.99 lakh in movable assets.
In contrast, several other well-qualified candidates in the upcoming Phase III of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections also have notable qualifications and assets. These include:
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- Dr. Narinder Singh, a PhD holder in Forestry and a professor at SKUAST Jammu.
- Dr. Devinder Kumar Manyal, with an MBBS and Diploma in Orthopaedics.
- R. S. Pathania and Chander Mohan Sharma, who are law graduates.
Among the National Conference and BJP candidates, some have impressive asset portfolios despite varying levels of educational attainment. For example:
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- Sunil Verma, a National Conference candidate from Udhampur East, and Satish Kumar Sharma, a BJP candidate from Billawar, both have significant assets exceeding Rs 10 crore, despite their modest educational qualifications.
- Mohan Lal, BJP candidate from Akhnoor and former SSP, has Rs 69 lakh in movable assets and joint property worth Rs 2.35 crore with liabilities of approximately Rs 85 lakh.
- Joginder Singh Kaku and Ajay Sadhotra also hold substantial asset portfolios, with Kaku having over Rs 10 crore in assets and Sadhotra and his wife having more than Rs 2 crore.
As the elections approach, the contrast between candidates’ qualifications, assets, and legal issues continues to shape the political landscape of Jammu and Kashmir.