A follower of the Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda sect was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Punjab’s Kotkapura in Faridkot district on Thursday.
The incident comes days after the broad daylight killing of Sudhir Suri, leader of the Shiv Sena (Taksali), a local right-wing outfit, in the presence of over a dozen police personnel in Amritsar. It has put the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government on the back foot politically over the deteriorating law and order situation in the State.
The deceased, Pardeep Singh, was an accused in a 2015 sacrilege incident in Faridkot. He was out on bail at the time of his death and had been provided with a security cover by the Punjab police. He was shot while he was opening his shop in the morning hours at Kotkapura. Senior Superintendent of Police (Faridkot) Rajpal Singh told reporters that Pardeep died on the spot, while his gunman sustained bullet injuries.
After the incident, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann chaired a high-level meeting with senior officers of the State administration and the Punjab police. He directed senior police officers to ensure that none of the culprits responsible for the killing of the Dera follower were spared, adding that the accused must be given stern punishment as per law.
The Chief Minister said that this sensitive matter should be thoroughly investigated by the police from every aspect, adding that the case would be brought to a legal conclusion without any bias. He asserted that no criminal incident can be viewed through the narrow lens of caste or religion, promising that the perpetrators of this crime would not be spared at any cost.
“These unfortunate incidents are being carried out with nefarious designs to dent the strong bonds of our decade-old brotherhood, communal harmony, mutual love and unity,” said Mr. Mann.
Former Chief Minister and BJP leader Amarinder Singh alleged that there was a complete failure on the part of the AAP government in the State. “Daily murders, daylight firing, Punjab is sadly heading towards total lawlessness and the inexperienced Bhagwant Mann-led government has been able to do nothing to stop all this. I strongly urge him to start focusing on law & order of State before we transcend towards the dark era of 80’s,” he said in a tweet.
Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring also expressed serious concern over the deteriorating law and order situation. “As the AAP government remains completely clueless, there is total anarchy prevailing in Punjab. People have started taking the law into their own hands which is a dangerous signal for the State. This was the second targeted killing in Punjab within less than a week,” he said.
Published - November 11, 2022 04:30 am IST
