E-Paper
Punjab: 2 detained as Gutka Sahib pages found in Barnala
Villagers stage protest for three hours while accusing police of not taking prompt action against accused; protest lifted after officials assure villagers of necessary action
Two persons were detained after a few pages of Gutka Sahib were found scattered during an event in Thikriwala village of Barnala, resulting in a three-hour protest by villagers, police said on Wednesday.
Balbir Singh Ghunnas, a member of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), said the event, which was held in memory of Sewa Singh Thikriwala who spearheaded the self-rule movement against the then rulers of Punjab’s erstwhile princely states, was underway on Monday when the incident came to light following which villagers caught the suspects and handed them over to the police. “We demand a swift and thorough investigation,” he said.
Sarpanch Charanjit Singh said a villager with speech disability showed the pages from the holy book to the gurdwara president while indicating that these were found scattered. “After that, the same man distributed a few pages among other persons. This went till night following which the police were informed. No concrete action was taken even after 24 hours, forcing us to protest,” he said.
The protest was called off after cops assured the villagers that appropriate action would be taken. Barnala deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Satvir Singh, “Our investigation points to a local resident, suffering from speech and hearing impairment. We are questioning him with the assistance of an expert. One of his relatives from Sultanpur (near Dhuri) has also been rounded up for questioning.”
The DSP stated that the process was on to register an FIR. Further action would be taken accordingly, he added.
