Dera-Sikh clash: Three arrested for the firing

Three persons have been arrested in connection with the firing by the body guard of Dera Sacha Sauda chief.

Three persons have been arrested in connection with the firing by the body guard of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Ram Rahim Singh outside a suburban mall in Mumbai, which left one person dead.

“Three persons of the group, who are suspected to have fired, have been arrested and the revolver used in the crime has also been recovered from them,” a senior police officer said in Mumbai.

A group of Sikhs had raised anti-Dera slogans inside the Nirmal Lifestyles mall in suburban Mulund during a visit by the Dera head to the place on Friday evening, which led to an altercation between Singh’s supporters and the Sikh group, that later turned violent.

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Asked if any action would be taken against the sect head, the officer said it will depend only upon the progress made during investigations and on the statements of arrested people as well as the witnesses.

A case of murder, attempt to murder and unlawful assembly under the provisions of Arms Act has been registered in connection with the incident, which left one dead and two others injured.

The police officer said the entire probe into the case has been now handed over to the city police’s crime branch for investigation.

The body of the deceased, Balkar Singh Thakur Singh has been, meanwhile, sent for post-mortem and security has been beefed up across the city to avert any possibility of road blockades by the Sikh community to protest against the incident.

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Security has been stepped up at the mall, the Mulund police station and other spots in the vicinity.

The Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg, and the Eastern Express Highway, both important arterial roads, were blocked by protestors from the Sikh community till 0230 hours this morning but traffic has been moving smoothly since daybreak.

Ram Rahim Singh left Khopoli last night itself and is reported to have reached Pune airport from where he will take a flight for a north Indian destination, police sources said.

“A mob of over hundered persons were stopped on their way to Khopoli at Airoli junction on the Eastern Express highway resulting in a traffic blockade. We had reports that the mob was on its way to take action ….against Singh and his followers, who were held near Khopoli,” the officer added. Sikhs have been enraged at Singh after he was seen at a public function dressed as Sikh Guru Gobind Singh in Haryana’s Sirsa where a religious commune started by him is located.