Actor-philanthropist Sonu Sood‘s car was seized by Punjab police, alleging “suspicious activity” being carried out at a polling booth in Moga.
It is unclear as to why Sood toured the constituency, with the Punjab Assembly Elections currently underway. The actor claimed that he had discovered that bribes were being distributed by the opposition party Akali Dal at the booths, and stepped out to “check and ensure fair elections”.
Sood also voiced his views on the same via Twitter and urged the Election Commission of India to take immediate action.
He further denounced the confiscation of his vehicle and said that it was a parking issue. “The Shiromani Akali Dal candidate, Barjinder Singh, alias Makhan Brar, has lodged a false complaint against me. It was only a parking issue. The vehicle was not parked correctly. There was nothing else,” Sood told Hindustan Times.
The impounding of the vehicle, which reportedly belongs to one of Sood’s acquaintances, was ordered by the election observer.
“The SUV has been impounded on the basis of suspicious activity. We have received a complaint that the SUV was making rounds near the polling booth at Landheke village. We have impounded it. Further action is underway,” Station House Officer (SHO) of city police station, Davinder Singh, told HT.
Meanwhile, Sood has been asked to not step out of his house, and has been put under video surveillance.
It is notable that Sood’s sister Malvika Sood Sachar is contesting the polls in Moga. While she joined the Indian National Congress in January, Sood has maintained that he would neither campaign for her, nor join politics.
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The actor, who has predominantly appeared in Hindi, Telugu, and Tamil cinema, became known for his philanthropic work when Covid-19 hit India in March 2020. He had helped thousands of migrant labourers, who were struggling to get back to their hometowns by foot, with the onset of a sudden nationwide lockdown.
He continued his social work through ‘Sood Charity Foundation’, which included providing assistance to students for online classes and organising oxygen cylinders that were in shortage, during the second wave of the pandemic. He also helped organise teams of volunteers to aid patients seeking hospital beds across the country.
On the professional front, Sood will be seen in Prithviraj, alongside Akshay Kumar and debutante Manushi Chhillar.