SIT seeks production warrant of two dera men

Tribune News Service

Fairkdot, May 29

The special investigation team (SIT) of Punjab Police, probing sacrilege incidents, today moved court seeking production warrant of two dera followers — Sukhjinder Singh and Baljit Singh — in a case relating to pasting of derogatory posters near a Bargari gurdwara in 2015.

Sacrilege cases: ‘Repentance day’ on June 1

Bathinda: Sikh organisations on Saturday decided to stage a protest at Bargari on June 1, which would be observed as ‘Day of Repentance’, over the desecration of Guru Granth Sahib. SAD (Amritsar) leader Jaskaran Singh Kahan Singh Wala said seven years had elapsed since the desecration but the Sikh community had not received justice yet. TNS

This came as the court of judicial magistrate remanded two other Dera Sacha Sauda followers — Shakti Singh and Ranjit Singh — in judicial custody. On May 16, six dera men, including the four, were arrested by the SIT for scattering pages of a “bir” of Guru Granth Sahib near a gurdwara in Bargari.

While Sukhjinder and Baljit are admitted to Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital here after having tested positive for Covid-19 on May 19, the SIT had arrested Ranjit and Shakti in the poster pasting case after their police remand in the “bir” pages scattering case ended.

Now, with the police remand of Sukhjinder and Baljit ending in the second case, the SIT has approached the court seeking their production warrant in the second case.

With the SIT seeking police remand of the accused in one after another case over the past two weeks without making any recovery, dera followers accuse the police of building pressure on them to make confessional statements before court.

The accused have already informed the court about alleged pressure on them by the SIT to confess to the crime which they “never” committed, claimed Vinod Monga, advocate for the dera followers.