Dera Baba Nanak: Dalbir Singh, 55, the vice-president of the Gurdaspur Shiromani Akali Dal unit, was brutally killed with his legs chopped off allegedly by a poultry farm owner following a dispute over hiring a servant at Dhilwan village, 25 km from Batala town.
Police said that the accused, Balwinder Singh, 55, and his sons Major Singh, 25, and Mandeep Singh, 24, along with six others, barged into Dalbir’s house around 10 pm. While Major and Mandeep fired a dozen bullets, Balwinder cut off Dalbir’s legs with a sharp-edged weapon before threatening the shocked family members with dire consequences.
Villagers said that Dalbir was a former sarpanch and had intervened to sort out a dispute Balwinder had with another resident earlier in the day. A compromise was reached but Balwinder was holding a grudge and took revenge by forcibly entering Dalbir’s house at night and murdered him. Batala SSP Opinderjeet Singh Ghumman said that the police had registered a case of murder against the nine accused and a search was on.
Meanwhile, under pressure, the Batala police have constituted a five-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the murder. The cops filed a case under Section 302 IPC (murder) and various sections of the Arms Act at the Kotli Surat Malhi police station against the accused. The police had been trying to locate their whereabouts. Akali leaders, including former minister Bikram Singh Majithia, had been claiming that the crime was committed at the behest of a prominent politician and that SSP Opinderjit Singh Ghuman was acting at the behest of certain ruling party.
Probe into death of Dalit man
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh directed the state's top officials to ensure speedy, time-bound investigations and trial against the men responsible for allegedly abducting and beating a Sangrur-based Dalit man to death in Patiala district. All four accused have been arrested by the police, an official spokesperson said, adding that he spoke to Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh and DGP Dinkar Gupta to get an update on the case and review the situation in the wake of the unfortunate death of Jagmale Singh. Amarinder Singh has directed both to ensure stringent and exemplary punishment for the accused for their heinous crime within three months.
Urging the deceased's family to call off their protest, the Chief Minister announced that the state government will ensure justice and proper rehabilitation for them. He also called upon all political leaders not to politicise the issue.
