Express News Service
CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Police has arrested the caretaker of the gurdwara in Kapurthala for the recent lynching incident in the premises there as a case of murder has been registered against him and 100 unidentified people. There is no evidence that sacrilege took place in the gurdwara said the police.
In the case of lynching at a Gurdwara in Nizampur village Kapurthala, the caretaker of the gurdwara Amarjit Singh has been arrested by the police, as a case of murder registered against him. Singh had allegedly led a mob that killed the man suspected of attempted sacrilege at the gurdwara. The police have registered a case of murder against 100 unidentified people besides Singh.
Inspector-General of Police, Jalandhar Range, GS Dhillon said, “We have registered a case of murder against 100 people to set an example that lynching cannot be allowed. It was a deliberate act of murder. No sacrilege ever took place in the gurdwara. The manager of the Gurdwara has also been arrested. The weapons used in the crime, including a pistol, have been seized. Some shots were fired also. The person who owns the weapon is still at large and will be arrested soon. We have his picture with us and police teams are conducting raids at various places to arrest him.’’
“We did not find any sacrilege attempt or any evidence to back it,” said Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi.
On Sunday, a man accused of climbing on the Nishan Sahib (Sikh flag) at a gurdwara in Kapurthala was chased and beaten to death by a mob. Amarjeet did not report the matter to the police despite there being a police post a few yards away from the gurudwara as a few years back he had given the land for a police post. Later he wanted to get the land vacated. While Amarjeet’s son is an Assistant Sub-Inspector in the intelligence wing of Punjab Police.
Earlier, police had registered a case of outraging religious feelings and no separate murder case for lynching was registered.
There are 25 injuries on the body of the deceased which were inflected with sharp-edged weapons. Kapurthala Civil Hospital officiating senior medical officer Dr Narinder Singh said that most of the cuts were on his neck, head, also his food and windpipes were cut. The injures were due to sharp-edged weapons. The youth who could not be identified was cremated and his DNA samples were kept in case his family members approach the police.
Asked if there was any update on the victim’s identity, he said a medical board has taken samples for DNA testing.
As far as physical identification is concerned, based on videography and photography, so far it has not been possible, the police officer added.
