Dera follower accused of sacrilege, shot dead in Punjab
Darpan News Desk IANS, 10 Nov, 2022 12:05 PM
Chandigarh, Nov 10 (IANS) Dera Sacha Sauda follower and an accused in the Guru Granth Sahib 'bir' theft and sacrilege, Pradeep Singh, was shot dead by five unidentified men on two motorcycles in Punjab's Kotkapura town when he was going to open his shop.
His gunman also sustained bullet injuries.
Singh was an accused in the theft of 'bir' from a gurdwara in Burj Jawahar Singh Wala on June 1, 2015. He was on bail and was provided security.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) is investigating incidents of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib in 2015 and subsequent violence in the state in which the police force was accused of excesses that left two people dead.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann appealed to the people to maintain peace and calm.
"No one will be allowed to disturb the peace of Punjab. Strict instructions to the civil and police officials to maintain the peace and tranquility of the state," he said in a statement.
Justice Ranjit Singh (retd), who headed the commission appointed by the previous Congress government into the alleged incidents of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib and the subsequent police firing on protesters, has placed the then Chief Minister, Prakash Singh Badal, and then DGP Sumedh Singh Saini in dock.
Also, he had castigated the Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda, whose chief and self-styled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh is currently serving a 20-year jail sentence for raping two of his disciples and a life term for a journalist's killing, for the incident of sacrilege.
Justice Singh made these comments in January on the release of his 423-page book 'The Sacrilege' based on his inquiry when he was heading the government set up commission.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal and his father were recently questioned by the SIT regarding the Kotkapura firing case and the case of sacrilege.
The Chief Minister, accompanied by Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, said that by playing musical chairs, the traditional parties have mercilessly plundered the wealth of the state, and have connived with each other to shield their misdeeds.
The flights, to be introduced from October 30, will connect Mumbai, Hyderabad and Chennai with Qatar's capital Doha during this period. 13 flights per week will operate from Mumbai, four from Hyderabad and three from Chennai. These flights will be in addition to the existing daily flights to Doha from Delhi.
Acting swiftly on the complaint of the principal, the security was stepped up at the school by deploying commandos and sniffer dogs. During the probe, the police found it an act of mischief by three students of the school.
The DGP said the arrested persons include the prime perpetrator of planting an improvised explosive device (IED) at Shahabad in Haryana recently, who has been identified as Nachhatar Singh, alias Moti, a resident of Tarn Taran.
A bench comprising justices Hemant Gupta and Sudhanshu Dhulia told advocate Nizam Pasha, representing a petitioner, that the comparison with Sikhs may not be proper and the 5 Ks of Sikh have been held to be mandatory.
Prime Minister Modi recalled his meeting with Queen Elizabeth II during the UK visit in subsequent tweet and said, "I had memorable meetings with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II during my UK visits in 2015 and 2018. I will never forget her warmth and kindness. During one of the meetings she showed me the handkerchief Mahatma Gandhi gifted her on her wedding. I will always cherish that gesture".
