Murder charge against Nihang

Phagwara, January 24

Nihang Sikh Ramandeep Mangumath, who was arrested for killing a youth at Gurdwara Chhevi Patshahi in Bansanwala Bazar here on January 17, now faces murder charges. His police remand has also been extended by another week till January 31.

While earlier the Kapurthala police had booked him under Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the IPC, the police have now added Section 302. On the day of killing of the youth, later identified as Vishal Kapoor of Delhi, various Sikh organisations had come up to protect the Nihang, saying that he had killed the youth in self-defence.

Today, ADGP (Law and Order) Gurinder Singh Dhillon said after Kapurthala SSP Vatsala Gupta and her team found that there was no indication of any attack by the victim, he was charged with murder. Earlier, he was charged under Section 304.

Police teams are also learnt to have found that Mangumath and his cohorts, who were three-four had no religious background. “They are rather imposters donning Nihang’s attire. They are also suspected to be getting funding from unknown foreign sources. For the same reason, we have got his police remand extended by a week from the court. We will probe that angle too,” he said.