Rightwing Hindu leaders shifted to Pathankot jail for security reasons

PHAGWARA:SIX Hindu right-wing leaders, arrested after the April 13 Phagwara clash, have been shifted to the Pathankot jail from Kapurthala due to security and administrative reasons, said officials.

The clash took place between the Dalits and members of the right-wing Hindu organisations over renaming of Phagwara’s Gol Chowk to Samvidhan Chowk. A Dalit youth, Yashwant Bobby, received a bullet injury in the clash and he died on April 29.

Those shifted to the Pathankot jail include Shiv Sena (Bal Thackeray) senior state vice-president Inderjit Karwal, Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Suraksha Samiti state president Deepak Bhardwaj, Shiv Sena leader Shivi Batta, Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Suraksha Samiti leader Sushil Kumar Tinka and Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha leaders Rajiv Chahal and Sunny Batta.

Kapurthala superintendent of police (SP) Surinder Khanna said following security and administrative reasons, the Hindu leaders have been shifted to the Pathankot Jail.

A case under Sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 295A (hurting religious sentiments), 392 (robbery), 353 (assault), 186, 427, 148 and 149 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and various sections of the Arms Act, National Highways Act along with Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act was registered against Hindu leaders and six of them were arrested.