19-yr-old who filmed incident held, 2 accomplices on the run

MOGA: With the arrest of a 19-year-old youth on Thursday, the district police claimed to have cracked the case pertaining to putting up a ‘Khalistan flag’ on the terrace of district administrative complex on August 14. Two men in their early twenties are absconding and one of them is the son of a Punjab Police inspector.

The one arrested has been identified as Akashdeep Singh of Sadhu Wala village in Ferozepur district, while Jaspal Singh, 24, and Inderjeet Singh Gill, 23, of Moga’s Rauli village are absconding. Jaspal’s father is a police inspector, posted in Muktsar.

Akashdeep, who reportedly filmed the incident, was arrested from Bathinda. Jaspal and Inderjeet had put up the flag with Khalistan written on it on the terrace of the administrative complex at 8:15am on August 14, police said. While fleeing, the two men also removed and took along the Tricolour hoisted on the premises.

Moga SSP Harmanbir Singh Gill said the accused indulged in the crime in response to a call given by Us-based pro-khalistan outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) led by Gurpatwant Singh Pannu who offered a reward of $2,500 for any such act.

“After committing the crime , the trio met in Rauli village where the video was transferred to Jaspal’s phone, who shared it with the Whatsapp number given by Pannu in his video,” he said. “During his interrogation, Akashdeep said that they were misguided by videos of Sikhs For Justice and committed the crime to make some quick money,” he added.