In a dramatic development that has sent shockwaves across Punjab, the Patiala police on Wednesday excavated the official residence of Nabha Nagar Council Executive Officer Gurcharan Singh Gill and uncovered multiple parts belonging to tractor-trolleys that went missing nine months ago during farmer protests.
The Buried Evidence
The recovery operation, conducted under the supervision of a duty magistrate, saw an excavator dig up the compound of the government-allotted residence as approximately hundred farmers watched intently. The discovered parts have been identified as belonging to missing agricultural vehicles that farmers claim were systematically stolen after police dismantled their protest camps at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders on March 19, 2025.
Farmers under the banner of Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) say this recovery validates their long-standing allegation that equipment worth crores of rupees disappeared following the clearance of their year-long protest sites. The protest, which lasted from February 13, 2024, to March 19, 2025, was demanding legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP).
Pattern of Recovery and Political Connections
According to Manjit Singh Niyal, a leader of BKU Ekta Azad which is part of KMM, 20-25 tractor-trolleys went missing from the Shambhu border alone. While around 10 were recovered soon after from nearby villages, and others were found in Ambala and Patran, five remain parked at Kheri Ganduan Police Station as case property.
The latest discovery has once again brought local Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Pankaj Kumar 'Pappu' under scrutiny. Pappu, who is the husband of Nabha Nagar Council president Sujata Chawla, already faces two FIRs registered on August 26 and September 22 in connection with previous recoveries of tractor parts. He is currently out on bail in both cases.
Farmer leader Gamdoor Singh of BKU Ekta Azad revealed that farmers had been monitoring the Nabha Nagar Council's activities "day and night" which led to Wednesday's breakthrough. "We sat outside EO Gill's residence for a whole day to ensure there is no hanky-panky," Singh stated, identifying the recovered parts as belonging to farmer Paramjeet Singh of Kapurthala.
Official Response and Political Fallout
Davinder Singh, in-charge of Patiala's Crime Investigating Agency (CIA), confirmed that the recovered items are being catalogued for forensic matching. "We will investigate the case fairly. No culprit will be spared," he assured. The Patiala SSP has called farmers for a meeting on Friday to discuss the developments.
Executive Officer Gurcharan Singh Gill, from whose official residence the parts were recovered, claimed that while the residence was allotted to him, he actually lives at his village house. Meanwhile, Sujata Chawla has been on leave since August 27, with a majority of councillors across parties demanding her removal.
BKU Ekta Azad state president Jaswinder Singh Longowal didn't mince words, stating that the incident "exposed the dirty face of the AAP government" and demanded immediate arrest of Pappu and removal of Chawla as council president.
In a Facebook Live session on Tuesday, Pappu denied all charges, saying, "I am repeatedly being labelled 'trolley chor' without any proof. There has been no recovery of any stolen vehicle from me." He attributed the accusations to a tussle for control of the Nabha Nagar Council.
Ongoing Investigation and Farmer Resolve
The recovery comes after sustained pressure from farmers forced the Patiala police to announce a probe by its Crime Investigating Agency on September 22. Farmers allege that when most leaders were in Chandigarh for talks with Union ministers on March 19, Punjab Police launched a sudden operation to clear the protest sites, after which many vehicles disappeared.
Gamdoor Singh revealed that farmers first noticed tractor-trolleys resembling their own at Nabha Nagar Council just a day after the protest sites were vacated. The KMM will meet on November 23 to decide their next course of action as the investigation continues to unfold.
