Gurkirat Singh Kotli

He comes from the third generation of the Beant Singh family which has been active in Punjab politics since 1969 when Beant Singh won as an Independent from Payal of Ludhiana and became MLA for the first time. Gurkirat’s father, Tej Parkash, was three-time MLA and former Cabinet minister. Last he was the transport minister in Captain Amarinder-led Punjab government from 2002-2007. Although his family’s ancestral village is Kotla Afghana in Payal constituency of Ludhiana from where Tej Parkash has been two-time MLA, Gurkirat contested his first Vidhan Sabha poll from Khanna constituency of Ludhiana after Payal was notified as ‘reserved’ constituency. He again won from Khanna in 2017.^{[citation needed]}

The 31 August 1994 abduction, molestation and illegal confinement case of French national Katia Darnand has come to haunt Gurkirat Kotli time and again in which the victim had named him as one of the main accused. Even as the court had acquitted all seven accused in 1999, including five of Gurkirat’s friends and two Punjab Police cops, Katia had returned to France alleging that she was getting threats because she had identified the main accused. She never returned to testify against culprits, eventually leading to their acquittal in 1999. The incident had allegedly happened in Mohali. The victim had alleged that she feared for her safety as Gurkirat was the grandson of then CM Beant Singh and the case was not properly pursued allegedly due to the political pressure.^{[citation needed]}

The case shot back to limelight in 2017 after the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) moved National Commission for Women (NCW) demanding re-investigation and retrial in the case and eventually a notice was issued to the government of Punjab and a reply was sought.

Gurkirat Kotli: Once haunted by the ghost of Katia molestation case, Beant Singh’s grandson gets Cabinet call Gurkirat Kotli: Once haunted by the ghost of Katia molestation case, Beant Singh’s grandson gets Cabinet call

[2] https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/aap-attacks-channi-on-induction-of-rana-kotli-and-ashu/articleshow/86593003.cms

[3] Gurkirat Singh(Indian National Congress(INC)):Constituency- KHANNA(LUDHIANA) - Affidavit Information of Candidate: