Baba Bakala, April 9
The Beas police again arrested controversial Nihang leader Baba Ajit Singh Poohla of Taruna Dal and six of his followers following a crackdown on his headquarters, Gurdwara Damdama Sahib, near here, in the wee hours today.
They were arrested on charges of forcibly ploughing the standing wheat crop belonging to Santokh Singh, a resident of Lakhowal village, a couple of days ago.
Earlier, Baba Poohla was arrested on July 29, 2004, from his headquarters at Jhutha Kartarpur, near here, in a joint raid conducted by the Nawanshahr and local police with active
support of ex-servicemen in connection with the brutal murder of Nihang Sukhdev Singh at Mazaar Sayeed Jora Peer Behram in Nawanshahr police district on June 20, 2002. However, he was later released on bail.
Among those who have been arrested along with Baba Poohla are Onkar Singh, Diya Singh, Gurmail Singh, Ranjit Singh, Gurcharn Singh and Karnail Singh. They have been arrested under Sections 427, 447, 336, 148, 149 of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 25, 27, 54, and 59 of the Arms Act.
According to district police chief Lok Nath Angra, the accused had managed to escape after ploughing the standing wheat crop. One accused had fired in the air with .12-bore gun. The weapon and tractor used in the crime were recovered by the police.
The Nihang chief and others were, however, sent to judicial custody by Jaswinder Shimar, Judicial Magistrate, till April 23.
The police have also challaned the vehicle of the Nihang chief, bearing a red beacon (PB-27-9433).
DSP Ram Singh Bhandal said with the arrest of Poohla, a reign of ‘terror’ had ended. He said nobody would be allowed to take law into his hands.
However, Baba Poohla alleged that he was being harassed by the state police though he had lost 150 followers in the fight against terrorism. When asked as to why he had put a red beacon atop his vehicle, he quipped,: “I am a VIP and hence have all rights to use the light.” He refuted the charges that he or his followers had ploughed the standing crop of wheat.
