M A I N   N E W S

Desecration: 4 more arrested
Our Correspondent

Amritsar, March 23
The remaining four accused in Wednesday’s incident of sacrilege were arrested today even as questions continue to be asked about the security provided to the main accused, Harish Sharma, resident of Bhadarkali.

The four arrested are Vijay Kumar, alias Vicky, Sahib Dhir, resident of Gate Hakima, Manish Kumar of Shakti Nagar and Tejinder Kumar.

Meanwhile, Mr Tilak Raj, key eyewitness of the desecration of mosque, swore that a securityman was present with Harish when the act was committed. However, the SSP, Mr Parampal Singh Sidhu, told The Tribune that the securityman provided to the accused had been left behind at home and, therefore, he could not inform the police about the “plan”.

Meanwhile, Mr Gurbachan Singh Bachan, SGPC secretary, revealed that the accused Harish Sharma had once in a statement published in a section of the press, used derogatory terms for those killed in Operation Bluestar.

He said Harish had spoken against those killed in Operation Bluestar in last year’s celebration of Ghalughara day (June 6). The SGPC had reacted sharply to the published statement. Thereafter, on this basis, he made a plea for provision of security to him.

Mr Bachan questioned the providing of security to a man who was out to “stir communal passions for vested interests”.

In the meantime, Mr Anwar-ul Huda, Manager of Zeenat-ul-Islam Madarsa, Mr B.A. Khan and Mr Mohammed Yakub Khan of the Punjab Waqf Board, have asked what action was being taken against the accused.

Meanwhile, Mr Manjit Singh Calcutta, Akali MLA, and Mr Onkar Singh Sharifpura, district president, SHSAD, have called for a ban on the Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Suraksha Samiti under whose banner the accused committed the sacrilegeous act. They demanded a high-level probe into the conspiracy behind the act and the circumstances and persons who provided him security while Harish had been a threat to the disruption of communal harmony.

Meanwhile, high security was witnessed in various mosques of the district today in view of the call of ‘black day’ by the Muslim community on occasion of Friday prayers. Black badges and flags were hoisted atop masjids as a mark of protest against the incident at Masjid Khairuddin on Wednesday in Hall Bazaar. Nearly a dozen masjids were covered by commandos to thwart any plan by miscreants to disrupt peace.

According to reports, the court of Mr Rajesh Kalra has ordered police remand of all seven accused till March 28.

Kanpur violence
UP INL chief arrested

Kanpur, March 23
The police today arrested Indian National League state president M. Suleman for indulging in riots and making provocative statements which allegedly led to the outbreak of violence last week.

SSP Arun Kumar told reporters here this evening that the accused was wanted in two cases, registered at the Kotwali and the Chamanganj police stations, of rioting and indulging in loot at Naveen Market here on March 16 and for making provocative statements after the riots.

Mr Kumar said Suleman was nabbed at a five-star hotel here while he was going to meet someone. Apart from Suleman, the police has arrested 30 persons in connection with last week’s riots, taking the total number of arrests to 356 so far.

The police has also seized 252 country-made bombs and 42 rifles during the search and combing operations in the affected areas, the SSP added. UNI