3-day police remand for Fatehgarh Sahib sacrilege accused

Our Correspondent

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Fatehgarh Sahib, October 13

The man accused in yesterday’s sacrilege incidents at two village gurdwaras in the district was remanded in three-day police custody today even as charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act were added to the two FIRs against him.

The accused was presented in the court of Duty Magistrate Varun Deep Chopra amid tight security. Lawyers and members of Sikh outfits raised slogans demanding death penalty for the accused. The police sought a week’s remand, but the court gave custody up to October 16.

19-yr-old under medication for 1 year

During the search of 19-year-old Sehajvir Singh, a Nabha resident, prescription slip of a Patiala hospital, where he was undergoing drug de-addiction treatment for the past one year, was recovered. — Amneet Kondal, SSP

SSP Amneet Kondal said the police had registered FIRs at the Sirhind police station under Sections 295-A (defilement of place of worship) and 504 (provocative act to break public peace), IPC, and 18 (conspiracy) and 20 (member of terrorist gang), UA (P) Act, on the statement of Manjot Singh, sewadar, Gurdwara Sahib, Tarkhan Majra village. He said an investigation had been ordered with the assistance of the SGPC and members of the Satkar committee.

Earlier, members of the District Bar Association condemned the act and demanded exemplary punishment for the accused. Lawyers passed a resolution neither to contest his case nor allow any outsider to represent him. The offices of the DC and SSP were flooded with representations from social, religious and political organisations. Memorandums were submitted, saying these coincided with the five years of the Behbal Kalan sacrilege incident.