CHANDIGARH: Following the clashes at Patiala on Friday between two groups over the anti-Khalistan march in which four persons were injured, the Punjab Police has registered six cases against 24 accused and arrested three accused including Harish Singla who has been expelled from the Shiv Sena for taking out the procession without permission and instigating violence. He was sent to two days police remand by the court. The police is not ruling out the conspiracy angle.
Taking strict action, the Inspector General of Police (Patiala Range), Senior Superintendent of Police and Superintendent of Police (City) were transferred by the state government with immediate effect over their failure to control the violence.
Mukhwinder Singh Chinna has now taken over as the new IGP (Patiala Range), Deepak Parik as the Senior Superintendent of Police for Patiala and Wazir Singh as Superintendent of Police (City).
"We have registered six cases against 24 alleged accused in connection with clashes that broke out on Friday. Five cases were registered at Kotwali Police Station and one case at Lahori Gate Police Station. As of now, three accused have been arrested -- Harish Singla, Kuldeep Singh and Daljeet Singh. The latter two are Sikh radicals. Barjnder Singh Parwana alias Sunny, another Sikh radical who is the mastermind, is absconding and will be arrested shortly and after his arrest many angles of conspiracy will come out. Already, four cases including attempt to murder are registered on him as he is a hardliner and in 2017-18 went to Singapore for about eighteen months," said IGP Chinna.
He said, "We are investigating all the angles including conspiracy angle and nobody will be spared. The charge-sheets in the courts will be filed soon. A peace meeting has been held today with representatives of all religions."
Harish Singla, who has been expelled from the Shiv Sena for taking out the procession without permission and instigating violence, was arrested late in the night. He was produced in the local court on Saturday after his medical examination and sent to two days police remand.
With improvement in the situation, mobile internet services and SMS services which were suspended on Saturday morning in order to check spread of rumours were restored in Patiala district at 4 pm.
Sources said that various Hindu groups sat on a protest dharna against the violence and have called it off after assurance from the authorities that those behind the violence would be apprehended within 48 hours. The majority of the shops were closed in the royal city.
Meanwhile, security has been beefed up in the adjoining district of Fatehgarh Sahib as police personnel have been deputed in the sensitive areas.