Jalandhar, June 11
The Kapurthala police have booked three family members of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) district president Gurpal Indian in a case of illegal capture of Gurdwara Sahib Bawiya, Kapurthala.
Internal matter
It is the gurdwara’s internal matter. Due to a dispute, an FIR was lodged after verification. The police are on the lookout for culprits. — Rajbachan Sandhu, Kapurthala SSP
A case had been registered against 14 persons, including the mother, father and brother of the AAP leader, under Sections 458, 342, 380, 427, 148, 149 and 120-B of the IPC at the Kapurthala city police station.
Those named in the FIR are Gurpal’s father Manjit Bahadar Singh Bawa, mother Devinderpal Kaur, brother Veer Kamaljit Singh Bawa, besides Manmohan Singh Walia, Paramjit Singh, Surjit Singh.
The complainants, primarily members of the Gurdwara Shib Bawiyan Sewa Society, alleged on the night of June 6, some people forcibly entered the gurdwara and indulged in hooliganism, looting golak and breaking almirahs. A complaint was lodged immediately with the police, but it took four days to register an FIR.
Members of the gurdwara committee along with prominent members of religious organisations, leaders from political parties and residents had held a march on the issue on Friday, demanding the arrest of the suspects.
Sewa society member and gurdwara storekeeper Jagir Singh alleged: “When the sewa society was formed, Bawa was ousted from the gurdwara management due to his activities against the society. The June 6 incident amounts to desecration. Strict action must be taken.”
Sewa society president Ujjal Singh said: “An FIR has been lodged after much delay. We demand immediate arrest of the culprits.”
AAP leader Gurpal, however, said: “I’ve been living away from my family for 12 years and don’t indulge in politics of religion. The gurdwara is run by the Bawa family (to whom it is dedicated) for years. My father was associated with it for 35 years before being ousted. The society captured the gurdwara. Allegations of hooliganism are false. As I am an AAP member, attempt is being made to target me by lending it a political colour.”
Meanwhile, Kapurthala SSP Rajbachan Singh Sandhu said: “It is gurdwara’s internal matter and due to a dispute, the FIR was lodged after verification. The police are on the lookout for culprits.”
AAP leader’s kin booked over gurdwara ‘capture’
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