Beas, February 6
In a major breakthrough, the special investigation team (SIT), headed by Mr Manminder Singh, SP (Headquarters), Amritsar, today arrested three official gunmen of Mr Jasbir Singh Dimpa, a Congress MLA, and a civilian in connection with the firing on Akali workers that left one dead on January 29 here.
The DIG (Border Range), Mr R.L. Bhagat, said the three constables and the civilian figured in the video produced by the SAD before the Election Commission.
They would be produced in the court tomorrow. He said 10 teams, headed by the respective DSPs, had been constituted to conduct raids in Amritsar and adjoining areas to nab the alleged culprits, including Mr Harpinder Singh Gill, alias Rajan, younger brother of Mr Dimpa.
The names of the arrested gunmen are Jaspal Singh (No. 912), Kashmir Singh (598) and Parween Kumar (1958), while the name of the civilian is Surjit Singh, a resident of Bhinder village.
While Jaspal Singh had allegedly fired on the mob, his colleagues Kashmir Singh and Parween Kumar gave their official assault rifles to Rajan, brother of Mr Dimpa who opened fire on the mob.
The SIT has sent its progress report to the ADGP (Election Cell) and the Election Commission.
Police sources said the Congress MLA could be arrested only after his role was established in the firing incident.
Though the FIR lodged in the Beas police station alleged that Mr Dimpa was handling a firearm, the video showed a mobile set in his hand.
To a question, the DIG said the role of Gurbhej Singh, Sarpanch of Bhillowal village, Chattar Singh Sakhoke and Jarnail Singh Ballewal had also been established in the firing incident.
Earlier, the district
police chief, Majitha, Mr Lok Nath Angra, had placed four gunmen of Mr Dimpa and the SHO, Beas, under suspension.
A day after the firing incident, a preliminary report (confidential) sent by the SSP, Majitha, to the Election Cell had pointed out that the two official gunmen of Mr Dimpa had told the investigation team that their assault rifles were snatched by Rajan and used in the incident.
The report reads that two constables, Pawan Kumar and Kashmir Singh, both from the Majitha police, had confessed during the investigation that Rajan had fired 10 rounds from one assault of the official gunman and three rounds from the weapon of another gunman.
