Punjab Police on Sunday arrested the main accused Barjinder Singh Parwana, along with six others, in connection with the Patiala clashes between two religious factions that had left four people injured on Friday.
Two groups had clashed on Friday over an anti-Khalistan march, hurling stones at each other and brandishing swords, forcing police to fire in the air to bring the situation under control.
With the arrest of six more people, the number of accused who had been nabbed so far reached nine.
The arrest of the alleged “mastermind” came a day after top three police officers of the district were transferred out.
Inspector General of Police (Patiala range) Mukhwinder Singh Chhina, addressing the media, said: “The main accused Barjinder Singh Parwana has been arrested from Mohali.”
More than 20 police teams, under the supervision of SPs and DSPs, were on the trail of Barjinder Singh Parwana who was held in Mohali and formally arrested after being brought to Patiala, he said.
Thirty-eight years old Parwana was later presented before the local court and was sent to four-day police remand.
A resident of Rajpura in the district, Parwana is one of the masterminds of Friday’s incident, according to the police. He had been accused of provoking the Sikh radicals to move towards the Kali Mata Temple on Friday.
Parwana alias Sunny is a man with criminal antecedents with four FIRs lodged against him in the past. Three of these cases were registered in Patiala and one in Mohali, according to the police.
A graduate, Parwana is known for making provocative speeches on social media. He went to Singapore in 2007-08 and returned after staying there for 18 months. He set up his own Sikh seminary ‘Damdami Taksal’ at Rajpura. He had also participated in the farmers’ protest against the three central farm laws.
Patiala Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Deepak Parik said that key conspirators and rumour-mongers from both sides had been arrested and further investigation was on.
IG Chhina said that technical gadgets and CCTV footage were being examined and the police would ensure that “no innocent person is arrested and no guilty is spared.” He added that all those involved in the violence would be “identified, arrested, put on trial and we will make sure they are convicted”.
He said that the police also arrested Shankar Bhardwaj, an accomplice of Harish Singla, and Ashwani Kumar Gaggi Pandit, who made hate speeches. Bhardwaj is district president of Shiv Sena (Bal Thackeray).
Besides, the police has also arrested Shivdev, a resident of village Bal Sikandar in Fatehgarh Sahib district; Davinder Singh, a resident of Haryana’s Jind; and Rajinder Singh, a resident of Samana in Patiala.
The IG said that so far, nine people have been arrested in connection with the clashes. “The police would take stern action if anyone is found trying to disturb peace and communal harmony....Strict action would be taken against those who spread provocative content on social media,” he said.
Shiv Sena (Bal Thackerey) working president Harish Singla – who was expelled from the organization after the violence – was arrested on Friday evening.
Six FIRs have been registered in the matter and a total of 25 people had been named in them.
Clashes had broken out between members of the Shiv Sena (Bal Thackeray), who had called for an “anti-Khalistan” march, and Sikh activists and Nihangs outside the Kali Mata temple on Friday. The incident had led to stone-pelting by both sides, the police had said, adding that at least four persons, including two policemen, were injured. It is the first major law-and-order incident in the state under the new AAP government.
The IG and Patiala Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney, who was also present during the press conference, appealed to the public to be cautious against sharing anything that would cause hate and refrain from circulating such information before checking with the administration.
Sawhney appealed to the people not to share any objectionable videos or messages on social media which could lead to unrest in society and create conflict between communities. She said that information about such posts should be reported through direct message on the Twitter handle @DCPatialaPb and WhatsApp number for taking suitable legal action in the matter.
Sawhney further said that peace committee meetings were being held in all the subdivisions of the district. The clash had taken place outside the Kali Mata temple when members of the ‘Shiv Sena (Bal Thackeray)’ began a ‘Khalistan Murdabad March’. Some Sikh activists, including Nihangs, took out another march against the Sena event. Four people were injured in the incident.
The incident of clashes in Patiala is the first major law and order incident in the state under the Bhagwant Mann-led state government. Opposition parties had attacked the AAP-led regime, alleging that the law and order in the state had collapsed.