Son of Tarn Taran-based sect’s head among 100 booked in 2 cases

TARN TARAN: Widening the rift between two heirs of Sursinghbased Baba Bidhi Chand sect over the possession of 550 acres of land, the police have registered two separate cases, including one with murder-bid charges, against 100 followers of sect head Baba Avtar Singh.

They were accused of attacking the supporters of the sect head’s younger brother Baba Gurbachan Singh over the tilling of land. In one of the cases, the sect head’s son Prem Singh is among the 47 accused. This case has been registered under sections 307 (murder bid), 379-B (theft) and 447 (trespass) of the IPC and relevant sections of the Arms Act .

The complainant, Baba Gurbachan Singh’s follower Narbir Singh, said after the death of Baba Daya Singh, 103 acres of land were being tilled by Baba Gurbachan, while the rest was being looked after by the sect head.

He said, “Baba Daya Singh had distributed the total land equally between both his sons. However, Baba Avtar had been claiming that the land belonged to him as he is the sect’s head. Baba Gurbachan had already procured a stay order from court regarding the tilling of the land. On Saturday, the followers of Baba Avtar forcibly tilled the land situated in

Bhikhiwind. They also attacked the followers of Baba Gurbachan and snatched their vehicles at gunpoint.” The second case has been registered on Narbir’s complaint against Baba Avtar’s 54 followers under sections 341, 323, 506, 148 and 149 of the IPC.

Satnam Singh, an assistant of Baba Avtar, said the land was donated by the sangat to the sect and it is not the property of the family. He said the sect head would soon conduct a press conference to clear the issue.

The sect (a Nihang jathedbandi), which has around 80 gurdwaras in Punjab and dozens in other states and foreign countries, is headquartered in Sursingh village of Bhikhiwind.