Kin of slain dera follower seek aid

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, February 25

About eight months after Mohinderpal Bittu, one of the prime accused in the sacrilege incidents at Burj Jawahar Singh Wala and Bargari villages, was killed by inmates in Nabha jail, his family has demanded compensation from the state government.

Bittu’s family held the government responsible for compromising his security, leading to his murder. He was a central committee member of the Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda.

The family advocate, Vinod Kumar Monga, has sent a notice to the state government and the Jails Department asking for compensation.

Bittu’s widow, Santosh Kumari, said: “The police implicated Bittu in criminal cases. The lax security arrangements in the jail led to his murder. The jail administration and the state government are responsible.”

She cited a letter by the Jail Superintendent, Nabha, to prove her claim. The murder First Information Report registered on the basis of the letter mentioned lax security arrangements in the prison.

Bittu is survived by his father, wife, two sons and daughter. They were solely dependent on him to make ends meet.

His death had pushed the family into economic distress, read the notice sent on February 22.

“Bittu had a bakery shop and his annual income was about Rs6 lakh. As he was murdered due to lax security arrangements in the jail, the state government is liable to pay compensation to his family otherwise the family will move court,” Monga said.

On June 22, 2019, Bittu was allegedly killed by two inmates Maninder Singh of Fatehgarh Sahib and Gursewak Singh of Mohali district. The accused broke open the bars of the gate of a cell where Bittu was confined.

Bittu was in judicial custody in a case registered against him at Kotkapura.

The family alleged Bittu was dragged and beaten up with iron rods. “It is surprising no one in the jail heard Bittu’s screams when he was being beaten up. How did the accused manage to bring iron rods inside their barrack?” Santosh Kumari said.