BATHINDA: Two bike riders shot dead the father of a prominent Dera Sacha Sauda follower, who is also an accused in three cases of sacrilege, at Bhagta Bhai town of Bathinda on Friday evening.
It is learnt that two shots were fired at Manohar Lal, the father of Dera man Jatinderbir Singh alias Jimmy, when he was sitting at his Western Union money exchange outlet near Bhagta Bhai bus stand. One of the shots hit him in the head and the other on his arm. His family members took him to a private hospital at Bhucho near Bathinda, where he was declared dead. Mohan Lal was also a follower of the Dera.
According to police, two unidentified persons came to Lal’s shop on a black bike without a numberplate at 4.40pm and escaped after firing two shots at him.
Police looking at CCTV footage
While the police are tight-lipped about the motive behind the crime, sources said it could be a revenge killing due to the alleged involvement of Jimmy in sacrilege cases.
Jimmy was arrested in 2018 from Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi.
This is not the first instance of a dera follower being targeted in the last few years. In June 2016, Dera follower Gurdev Singh was killed at his shop at Burj Jawahar Singh Wala village. A "Bir" (copy of holy book) of Guru Granth Sahib was stolen from this village on June 1, 2015. In June 2019, another Dera follower Mohinderpal Bittu of Kotkapura was killed inside the high-security Nabha jail.
Bathinda SSP Bhupinderjit Singh Virk said, "It is being investigated what could be reason behind the killing. Police are trying to ascertain the identity of those involved in the crime from the CCTV footage. A case of murder and under the Arms Act has been registered against unidentified persons."