Sunday, 4 January 2015

Uneasy calm prevails in Baghapurana

Security beefed up, nine booked for hurting religious sentiments of dera followers

Rajay Deep

Bathinda

A day after severe clash between the Dera Sacha Sauda followers and members of Sikh community took place in Baghapurana town an uneasy calm prevailed in the town and its surroundings of Moga district on Wednesday.

The clash had taken place over putting up the posters of Dera head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s upcoming movie ‘MSG-The Messenger of God’.

After the Tuesday’s incident, in which Dera followers and Sikhs assaulted each other with stones and bricks, Police have registered two cases against nine persons for tearing off the movie posters bearing the photographs of Gurmeet Ram Rahim as the dera followers (complainant) termed it an act which did hurt their religious sentiments.

In the first case, registered on the complaint of one dera follower Gurmeet Singh under Sections 295 (Injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class) and 427 (Mischief causing damage) of IPC, Baghapurana Police arrested Jagtar Singh, Satwinder Singh and Jagjit Singh. After they were produced in the court on Wednesday, the magistrate ordered judicial custody of the trio for 14 days.

In the second case, registered on the complaint of one Anshu Kumar, Police booked Davinder Singh, Barar Dairy, Baljinder Singh, Guermeet Singh, Visakha Singh and Bittu Singh for the same crime. However, in their case, Police added Section 148 of the IPC, as they were also accused of rioting, armed with deadly weapons.

Though Police claimed to have launched the operation to nab them all immediate after the complaint received, they could not be arrested even after 24 hours. It’s learnt that the group of Sikhs was led by being led by some Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) members.

On the other hand, security in Baghapurana town and its surroundings of Moga district was observed to be beefed up on Wednesday and the tension continued to grip the area. 

Inspector General Police (Bathinda Zone) Paramraj Singh Umranangal and Deputy Inspector General (Ferozepur Range) Mohneesh Chawla visited the town to take stock of the situation, as learnt.

The senior police officials also held meeting with District Magistrate Parminder Singh Gill, SSP Moga Jatinder Singh Khaira and others to review the security arrangements.

It is pertinent to mention that in the clash between the two groups, some cops had also sustained minor injuries. After realising the situation was slipping out of hand, the cops had opened fire in the air and also resorted to heavy lathicharge to disperse them all. Ironically, before the clash between the two groups started, some of the dera followers had even thrashed a passerby for issuing some disgraceful remarks against the dera head.

Finally, once bringing down the situation under control, the district administration had also enforced Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), banning assembly of over five people in an area, to ensure the groups didn’t assemble again.

On the parallel, a similar controversy had also taken place in Barnala district as the posters of the movie were also torn there. However, the timely action of Police ensure the situation doesn’t take violent turn

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