Dera follower’s murder: Punjab DGP rushes to Bathinda to review probe

Director general of police (DGP) Dinkar Gupta rushed to Bathinda on Monday to review the progress in the murder case of Dera Sacha Sauda follower and foreign exchange trader Manohar Lal Arora at Bhagta Bhaika village in the district.

Police sources said the top cop was apprised about the resentment expressed by protesting dera followers over the slow pace of investigation in the murder of another follower, Mohinder Singh Bittu, last year.

“It has been more than 72 hours since the murder of Arora but the dera followers have refused to cremate him. A number of premis or followers have gathered at Salabatpura, where the body has been kept in the middle of the road, and dera leaders are raising the issue of targeted killings of sect members and delayed police probes,” said an official source.

Sources said Gupta directed the local police to enhance the use of forensic and cyber investigation to identify the culprits.

Though Gupta refrained from briefing the media, sources said Bathinda police gave a detailed presentation on various leads in the case.

Police officials admit that there had been pressure after a gangster, Sukhpreet Singh alias Sukha Gill Lamme, claimed responsibility for the attack through a Facebook post on Saturday.

“The Facebook post, in Punjabi, claimed that the crime was committed by Rajinder and Aman to avenge the sacrilege incidents of 2015. A couple of other posts from the gangster’s social media page resulted in a social media frenzy following which the page was pulled down on Sunday evening,” said sources.

Meanwhile, the dera followers said they would cremate the body only after the accused are caught.

Senior superintendent of police (SSP) BS Virk said police investigation is on and the culprits will be held soon.

“We will hold another round of talks with the dera followers on Tuesday to convince them to end the traffic blockade,” said Virk.

Meanwhile, the DGP also took stock of the law and order situation from the police authorities in south Malwa region, ahead of the Punjab farmer unions’ movement towards Delhi for the agitation on Thursday.