Accused Bikramjit was working in fields at time of attack: Locals

AMRITSAR: Minutes after chief minister Amarinder Singh announced the arrest of Bikramjit Singh in connection with the grenade attack on a Nirankari prayer hall in Amritsar, residents of his village Dhariwal in Amritsar district came up in his defence.

Residents claimed that accused Bikramjit, 27, was working in his field when the Nirankari Bhawan at Rajasansi was attacked with a grenade on Sunday. Soon after the CM’s statement, villagers started gathering at Bikramjit house, which is under construction. They were all perturbed over his arrest while his mother Sukhwinder Kaur, 55, was in deep shock.

Village sarpanch Rachhpal Singh said Bikramjit, who has been cultivating his five-acre land after passing Class 12, lives along with his mother as his father had died ten years ago. His younger brother had setlled in Canada with his aunt (mother’s sister) four years ago.

Sukhwinder Kaur said his son was innocent and he had been arrested illegitimately by police. “The entire village knows he is a very sensitive and emotional person as he cannot see a minor injury on even a dog. How can he kill a human being?.”

Farm labourers Subeg Singh and Nanak Singh said, “We witnessed Bikramjit working in his field right from morning to evening on the day of the grenade attack in Amritsar. We know this as were also working in the adjoining field. The next day also, he was seen working for the entire day before he was detained at night”. Nirmal Singh, another villager, said, “I returned from Barnala that day. On the way, we learned about the attack. We reached the village soon after the attack and saw Bikramjit working in his filed”.

Subeg, Nanak and Nirmal said they would depose in favour of Bikramjit in the court.

Contradicting the CM’s statement that Bikramjit was arrested from Loharka village on Thursday morning, his kin and fellow villagers claimed that the cops raided his house on Monday night and took him away. This was endorsed by village sarpanch

DHARIWAL RESIDENTS DEFEND BIKRAMJIT, SO DO FELLOW VILLAGERS OF COACCUSED AVTAR, WHO IS ON THE RUN

AVTAR RUNS CLINIC IN HIS VILLAGE

The other accused, Avtar Singh of Chak Mishri Khan, who allegedly threw the grenade at the Nirankari Bhawan at Rajasansi and is still absconding, runs a clinic outside his house , besides helping his father in farming.

Avtar, 28, is married and he has two daughters. While his father Gurdial Singh, a Nihang, is in police custody, other family members are missing from their house, which is currently under the vigil of two cops. Gurdial is one of ‘dharmi faujis’, Sikh soldiers who quit their barracks in revolt after Operation Bluestar.

His neighbours said Avtar has a good reputation in the village and they can’t believe that he can be involved in the grenade attack.