Bid on life of Dera Sacha Sauda follower foiled: Faridkot police

Faridkot police claim that the accused has links with the KTF that wants to avenge the Bargari sacrilege

Faridkot District police on Saturday claimed that it had foiled an attempt on the life of a Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda follower Shakti Singh, who is also an accused in the 2015 Bargari sacrilege case, with the arrest of a resident of Jeonwala village.

Faridkot police say the accused Bhola (face covered) had previously too entered Shakti’s house to kill him; Shakti is an accused in the Bargari sacrilege in Punjab of 2015. (HT Photo)

The man nabbed is Bhola Singh, alias Khalsa of Jeonwala village, in Faridkot district, with the police also recovering two 9mm pistols and 10 cartridges from his possession. Tarn Taran police also have him on its wanted list for murder; Bhola also faces five extortion cases.

Faridkot senior superintendent of police (SSP) Swarndeep Singh said, “Last month (On September 10), three unidentified persons in a Mahindra vehicle had visited Shakti’s house to kill him. They had been identified using CCTV footage; police got a recent tip-off that the same vehicle was again seen near Shakti’s house. A police team rushed to the spot and arrested Bhola along with weapons. Raids are on to nab his accomplices.”

Shakti, of Daggo Romana village, is out on bail in the Bargari sacrilege and in spreading propaganda posters, is facing three FIRs in connection with the desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib. The special investigation team (SIT) probing the 2015 sacrilege cases had arrested Shakti along with other accused on May 16.

In June, the Moga Police had claimed that the banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) was planning to kill Shakti, with the plan being revealed after two of its operatives, who allegedly killed a prominent dera follower in Bathinda last year, were interrogated. The two has been arrested on May 22 this year. Police claim Bhola and two other men had visited Shakti’s house to assassinate him on September 10.

“Earlier this year, Bhola murdered Charanjit Singh of Tarn Taran district. In 2018, Bhola extorted ₹1 lakh from a Moga resident, Sukhdev Singh. Last month, he had also threatened a Panjgrain village resident and sought ₹3 lakh extortion money,” the SSP said.

He added, “During interrogation, he has confessed that he wanted to kill Shakti to avenge the sacrilege. Investigation has pointers that show that he had not acted alone there are more people involved. We are also probing their links with the KTF or any other outfit of such nature.”