Two more arrested for roles in Patiala clash over anti-Khalistan march, Rajpura resident identified as mastermind: Police
Patiala, April 30
The Punjab police on Saturday arrested two more people allegedly involved in the clash over an anti-Khalistan march here and identified a Rajpura resident with criminal antecedent as the mastermind behind the incident.
The arrests of two more accused, identified as Daljeet Singh and Kuldeep Singh, took the total number of arrests made following the Friday clash to three, police said.
Earlier hours after the Friday clash, the police had arrested Harish Singla, the “working president” of a group called “Shiv Sena (Bal Thackeray)” on charges of taking out the procession without permission and instigating violence.
Addressing reporters here, the new inspector general of police of Patiala range, Mukhwinder Singh Chhina said six FIRs have been lodged in connection with the Friday incident and a total of 25 people have been named in them.
“Out of the total 25 accused, three have been arrested so far and they are Harish Singla, Daljeet Singh and Kuldeep Singh,” said Chhina.
He said police have identified Barjinder Singh Parwana, a resident of Rajpura in the district, as the main accused and one of the masterminds of the Friday incident.
“He is yet to be arrested. Several police teams have been formed to nab him,” said Chinna who took over from Patiala IG Rakesh Agrawal following his transfer by the state government after the Friday clash.
About Parwana, IG Chhina said he is a man with criminal antecedents with four FIRs lodged against him in the past.
After his arrest, the conspiracy angle of the clash will be probed in detail and nobody will be spared, he asserted.
“Parwana was the mastermind in this case and he planned it and he is one of the conspirators,” Chhina said.
The IG further said the accused who were involved in this incident would be arrested soon and chargesheets would be filed expeditiously against them in the court.
He further said law and order and peace and communal harmony will be maintained in Patiala.
Additional forces including special armed battalions have reached Patiala, he said, adding that an area domination exercise as part of the confidence-building measure for people was being carried out in the city.
“Punjab police will come down very heavily whoever tries to disturb the peace and communal harmony,” he said.
To a question on lapse on the part of intelligence, he said he cannot comment on it.
To a question on any terror angle behind the clash, the IG said it was too early to comment on all these things.
The two groups had clashed over an anti-Khalistan march, hurling stones at each other and brandishing swords, forcing police to fire in the air to bring the situation under control.
