Ludhiana pastor killing: SIT set up to crack case
A special investigation team was set up as protests rocked Ludhiana on Sunday.
police have constituted a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the murder of a church priest, Sultan Masih, 50, who was gunned down by two motorcycle-borne assailants at Peeru Banda Mohalla in the Salem Tabri area on Saturday night.
Commissioner of police RN Dhoke said the SIT would comprise deputy commissioner of police (DCP investigation) Gagan Ajit Singh, additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP) Rattan Singh Brar, assistant commissioner of police (ACP investigation) Maninder Bedi and SHO of the Salem Tabri police station Amandeep Singh Brar.
Dhoke said he would monitor the investigation. “We are working on various leads, including the information provided by the family, relatives and friends of the pastor. The accused will be nabbed soon,” said Dhoke.
The police have also procured the closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage and are trying to identify the accused.
Earlier, members of the Christian community blocked traffic on the Jalandhar bypass in protest against Masih’s killing. The family refused to hold a funeral until his killers were arrested.
₹5LAKH RELIEF TO PASTOR’S WIDOW, JOB TO SON
Chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Sunday announced an ex gratia of ₹5 lakh for the widow of Sultan Masih and a government job in the police for the son. The CM talked to the pastor’s family over phone to convey his condolences and promised strong action against the culprits. He told the pastor’s widow Sarabjit that her son Alisha would be provided a job in the police.
AMARINDER ORDERS CRACKDOWN
Taking serious view of the pastor’s killing, the CM on Sunday directed the director general of police (DGP) Suresh Arora to order a police crackdown on elements trying to whip up communal passions by indulging in such attacks.
He has also directed DGP to ensure that various departments of the police and intelligence in the state liaison and coordinate with one another in order to gather advance intelligence to prevent the recurrence of such incidents, a spokesperson in chief minister’s office said.
He directed the DGP to ask field officers to coordinate with local Christian leaders for support in defusing the situation resulting from the killing.
Amarinder said he had already urged the Prime Minister to expedite CBI probes into cases of other targeted killings, including that of RSS, Hindu and Shiv Sena leaders.
NO ONE IS SAFE IN PUNJAB: SUKHBIR
Condemning Masih’s murder, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal said no one was safe in Punjab with the state witnessing a complete breakdown of law and order under the Congress rule.
The Congress government is paying a heavy price for not acting against its own workers who started political killings immediately after the party came into power, said Sukhbir. The state witnessed sensational killings with an Akali worker being murdered in Gurdaspur after being threatened on the loudspeaker. In another case, two members of an Akali worker’s family were killed in Ferozepur after being threatened on Facebook, he said.
KIN PROTEST, REFUSE TO PERFORM LAST RITES TILL THE ACCUSED IS ARRESTED; POLICE SCANNING CCTV FOOTAGE TO TRACE SUSPECTS