Faridkot Nihang fakes death to avoid Rs 30 lakh liabilities, booked for public mischief

A Nihang attempted to fake his murder to avoid Rs 30 lakh liabilities. There was public outrage and road blockades by the Nihangs for the ‘murder’ of one of their own, and the police had to work overtime to unravel the case. The police have booked the suspect for public mischief and outraging religious feelings.

On September 6, the police received information about a viral video in which an SUV was partially submerged in drain water with a message that referred to about a month-old sacrilege incident in the district. Attempts were made in the video to give the impression that the SUV passenger was killed to avenge the sacrilege incident.

The police have not traced the driver of the vehicle; however, some Nihang organisations of Jhar Sahib, Khemkaran, and Tarn Taran approached the police and claimed that Karanbir Singh, a member of the organisation, had left for Bathinda in an SUV. They said he was missing, and on the basis of the video that surfaced on social media, they believed that Karanbir was killed in the incident.

The police began an investigation into the matter and tracked Karanbir’s mobile and began a search for him in Sangrur, Delhi and Chandigarh. They tracked Karanbir in Anandpur Sahib and arrested him. Upon questioning, he told the police that he had stage-managed a fake killing as he had failed to deposit about Rs 30 lakh, which he had embezzled. The police said Karanbir himself uploaded the video on social media.