Two radicals held, 3 murder cases solved

CHANDIGARH: With the arrest of two radicals on Wednesday, the Punjab Police claimed to have solved the cases of murder of two religious leaders, Paras Mani and Baba Lakha Singh, and a Dera Sacha Sauda follower Gurdev Singh.

The accused have been identified as Ashok Kumar Vohr a alias Amna Seth and Love preet Singh alias Lovely.

The police have recovered a .32 bore revolver and a motorcycle, besides some radical literature and writings from them.

A police spokesperson said both the accused were nabbed by the counter-intelligence team of the Punjab Police at a check-post near Sodhi Nagar in Ferozepur on Wednesday. Subsequent inquiries revealed that the duo was involved in three murders between 2014 and 2016.

Paras Mani, head of Dera Ba ba Faridat Khukh ran a village in district Moga, was gunned down by themin June 2014 while controversial religious preacher Baba Lakha Singh alias Lakhwinder Singh, also known as Pakhandi Baba, was killed in Rajasthan in November 2016.

Police officials said both the accused were also involved in the killing of Gurdev Singh (31), a Dera Sacha Sauda follower, in Burj Jawahar Singh Wala village in Faridkot district.

Investigations had revealed that one Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi, who was arrested in a police operation in Kohala village of Ferozepur last month, was also involved in the shootout, who then managed to give the slip to the police.