Phagwara clash: Four leaders of Hindu outfits held, licensed weapons seized

PHAGWARA: Phagwara police on Sunday arrested four leaders of different Hindu groups while also seizing their licensed weapons. They have been arrested in the case of clash between Hindu groups and Dalit groups on Friday midnight. In the incident, both sides pelting stones on each other and bullets were also fired leading to two Dalit activists sustaining bullet injuries.
Police on Sunday early morning arrested Shiv Sena state vice-president Inderjit Karwal, All India Hindu Suraksha Samiti Punjab president Deepak Bhardwaj, Hindu Shiv Sena and Pawan Putar Dal national president Shive Batta and another activist Raju Chahal. The former three also had Punjab Police gunmen for the last few years which were provided to them at the instructions of top police brass.

“We have seized their weapons and these would also be examined,” said Phagwara SP Parminder Singh Bhandal. He said that licensed arms of other leaders would also be seized during the investigations. “We are also getting examined the bullets recovered from the spot and those from bodies of the two persons injured,” he said.

Meanwhile condition of Bobby, who had received a bullet in his head and is admitted at DMC Hospital Ludhiana, is stated to be critical. Heavy deployment of Punjab Police personnel, Rapid Action Force and BSF is also continuing in the town.

On Sunday, the state government decided to extend suspension of mobile internet services till Monday midnight in the four districts of Doaba region – Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur and Nawanshahr. The vigil is up in the entire region.

The clash had taken place after Dalit activists, led by Ambedkar Sena, put up a hoarding at Goal Chowk on the national highway on Friday evening to ‘name’ it is as Sanvidhaan Chowk on the occasion on Dr Ambedkar’s birth anniversary. However, Hindu groups, including different factions of Shiv Sena, objected to it and converged near the chowk demanding its removal.

Clash started even as Phagwara ADC, SDM and SP were negotiating with both the sides. Stone pelting had started just before midnight and within moments gun shots were also heard. Later, several vehicles, including those of police officials, were also damaged.

Police registered cases of attempt to murder along with other stringent provisions while naming leaders of both the sides in the case.