Sikh preacher Baljit Singh Daduwal, who is seen as a security threat after the radical Sarbat Khalsa, was arrested in Tarn Taran on Thursday and brought to the central jail here around 1.30pm, where police kept hiding from his followers and the media.
The HT photographer, however, found Daduwal at the police lines, where he remained for about 2 hours. Patiala senior superintendent of police (SSP) Gurmeet Singh Chauhan denied repeatedly that that the radical leader was in the city. Security reasons forced police to move Daduwal to the Hoshiarpur jail. Patiala jail superintendent Bhupinder Singh Virk said another reason was that Daduwal had been shifted to judicial custody.
Daduwal’s supporters staged a protest against the administration for keeping them in the dark about the shifting. “We have been waiting for him since afternoon,” said protester Sarabjit Singh of Ghuram village in Patiala district.
A senior police officer said on the condition of anonymity that terror convict Balwant Singh Rajoana was also in the Patiala Central Jail, so its authorities were forced to send Daduwal to Hoshiarpur.
{{/usCountry}}A senior police officer said on the condition of anonymity that terror convict Balwant Singh Rajoana was also in the Patiala Central Jail, so its authorities were forced to send Daduwal to Hoshiarpur.
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