Mumbai Sikh-Dera Sacha Sauda clash

Four Separate reports on the Death of Balkar Singh, 42 who was killed by a bodyguard of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Ram Rahim Singh

Alert sounded in Punjab, June 20

Amritsar: The government has sounded an alert in the state after the killing of a Sikh in the firing by guards of Dera Sacha Sauda in Mumbai. Two persons were injured in the firing. The SGPC has sought the immediate arrest of the dera chief.

• June 20: A Sikh man, later identified as Balkar Singh, 42, was killed and another injured in firing by the bodyguard of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Ram Rahim Singh outside a mall in Mulund suburb when a clash between a group of Sikhs and Dera followers turned violent on Friday.

The Sikhs had shouted anti-Dera slogans inside the Lifestyles mall during a visit by Rahim Singh on Friday evening. The Dera chief left the place at around 6.45 pm and a bodyguard is believed to have opened fire after some Sikhs attempted to block his motorcade, a police officer said. Angry Sikhs later blocked all roads to Mumbai leading from the eastern suburbs, including the eastern expressway, demanding the arrest of those involved in the firing. Sikh protesters claimed the Dera men were carrying lathis and daggers and some had stenguns.

The police said action would be taken against the bodyguard. Mumbai areas with a large number of Sikhs like Chembur remained disturbed till late in the night.

• One person was killed when the security guard of Ram Rahim Singh, the controversial spiritual leader of the Dera Sachcha Sauda sect, fired at protestors, shouting slogans against him at Mulund in North-east Mumbai tonight.

Ram Rahim had come to Mulund to attend a programme at the Nirmal Lifestyle mall at 1930 hrs, when some people, protesting his visit, started ranting slogans.

The security guard, who has not been identified, fired at the protestors, killing one of them and injuring another, police said.

Majority of the demonstrators were from the Sikh community, who blocked the entire stretch of the LBS road in the area, said an eye-witness.

Ram Rahim Baba and his security guard are holed up in a building and the protestors are demanding the arrest of the duo.

Police have cordoned off the area.

• One person was killed on Friday in firing by a bodyguard of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Ram Rahim Singh, which is at loggerheads with the Sikh clergy, during clashes between Sikhs and supporters of the group in a mall in a north-east Mumbai suburb, police said.

The clashes occurred during a visit by Singh in the Nirmal Lifestyles mall in suburban Mulund late on Friday evening, they said.

A group of Sikhs allegedly went into the mall and started shouting anti-Dera Sacha Sauda slogans. This resulted in altercations between the protestors and Singh's followers after which the former resorted to stone-pelting, they said.

Singh's bodyguard fired at the crowd at around 1845 hours during the melee injuring one person, they said, adding the victim succumbed after being taken to a nearby hospital.

The Dera Sacha Sauda chief left the mall soon and his motorcade hasbeen stopped in the jurisdiction of the Khopoli police station in neighbouring Raigad district, they said.

Singh had drawn the ire of Sikhs for allegedly hurting their religious sentiments after he appeared dressed as Guru Gobind Singh at a public function in Haryana's Sirsa town where a religious commune headed by him is situated.

• Mumbai, June 20: A 50-year-old Sikh was today killed in firing by the bodyguard of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Ram Rahim Singh, who earned the wrath of Sikh clergy, outside a suburban mall during a protest against the spiritual guru by a Sikh group, which turned violent, the police said.

A group of Sikhs shouted anti-Dera slogans inside the Nirmal Lifestyles mall in suburban Mulund during a visit by Dera chief to the place this evening, a senior police officer said.

The protest by Sikhs led to altercations between Dera chief ‘s supporters and the Sikh group, which turned violent after the group allegedly started pelting stones, he said.

The Dera chief left the mall immediately at around 6.45 pm for a programme scheduled later in the evening.

“While the motorcade was passing for the programme, some Sikh protesters attempted to block the way and charged towards the vehicles when a private bodyguard is suspected to have opened fire,” the officer said.

One person suffered grievous injuries in the firing and was taken to a nearby hospital where he succumbed. The deceased was identified as Balkar Singh Thakur Singh (50), he said. — PTI