Magisterial probe sought in clash near gurdwara

A day after a clash broke out between two groups outside Gurdwara Bala Sahib in Sarai Kale Khan — in which a senior member of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), Harvinder Singh Sarna, and three others were injured — the committee has demanded a magisterial-level enquiry into the incident.

A day after a clash broke out between two groups outside Gurdwara Bala Sahib in Sarai Kale Khan — in which a senior member of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), Harvinder Singh Sarna, and three others were injured — the committee has demanded a magisterial-level enquiry into the incident.

HT Image

DSGMC president Paramjit Singh Sarna condemned the attack on Harvinder Singh by a group of 50-odd supporters of a local politician at a press conference held in Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib on Saturday. He said the ‘pelting of liquor, beer and soda bottles on gurdwara premises was a disgraceful act’, as the attackers too belonged to the same community.

"It is beyond our belief that a Sikh was attacked by people belonging to the same community and that too on the gurdwara premises. The DSGMC demands that the police should book the perpetrators under all sections of law that were invoked against those involved in the 2002 Akshardham Temple attack," said Paramjit Singh, adding that they would not tolerate any delay on the part of police.

Claiming the attack as a conspiracy hatched by the politician, Paramjit Singh said even though there was a 'deadly' attack on Harvinder Singh, the local police did not register a case under sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means) of the the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Harvinder Singh said he was attacked while he was heading towards his car after offering prayers at the gurdwara.

Ajay Choudhary, additional commissioner of police, said a case of rioting under sections 147, 148 and 149 of IPC has been registered and investigations were on.