Sikh preacher Baba Ranjit Singh Dhadrianwale was attacked by unidentified persons late in the evening near Barewal village. Bhai Bhupinder Singh Khasi Kalan, who was travelling with him in a Land Cruiser, was shot dead.
Dhadrianwale’s cavalcade was on its way to Isewal village when it was attacked. Eyewitnesses said 15 assailants, most of them looked like Amritdhari Sikhs, had erected a tent for “chhabeel” on Canal Road. They stopped the cavalcade at 7.45 pm. They offered juice to the driver and asked him where “Baba ji” was.
Dhadrianwale’s aide Bhupinder Singh, who had occupied the front passenger of the Toyota Land Cruiser Prada, suffered a bullet injury. “Dhadrianwale, who normally occupied the front seat, was on the rear seat. As a result, he had a miraculous escape. As soon as the firing started, the preacher’s driver accelerated and managed to take away the vehicle from the spot,” said a police official.
The attackers chased Dhadrianwale’s Prada in three SUVs for more than 4 km. Dhadrianwale and his driver, however, managed to hide in a private school building from where they called police.
Police officials said the attackers fired 50 shots. Dhadrianwale’s SUV was badly damaged. “The tyres of our vehicles burst, we alighted and run toward the fields where some labourers gave us shelter,” said Dhadrianwale. He denied he had blamed any group for the attack. “I don’t know who the attackers were. The police must trace them.”
Bhai Bhupinder Singh, Dhakki Sahibwale who suffered a gunshot wound to the head, was rushed to the Dayanand Medical College and Hospital. He, however, could not be saved. Dhakki’s supporters raised slogans at the hospital, demanding strict action against the attackers. Heavy police force was deployed in the area to prevent any untoward incident. Later, Dhadrianwale, in his statement, said it was a pre-planned attack. “The attackers had set up a fake ‘chabeel’ and the moment we slowed down, around a dozen armed assailants opened fire at us,” he said.
Ludhiana police commissioner Jatinder Singh Aulakh said a case of murder has been registered. “We are probing all angles,” he added.
Dhadrianwale had been engaged in a major spat with Harnam Singh Dhumma, head of the Damdami Taksal at Amritsar, on social media.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader HS Phoolka was among the first people to react, on Twitter as he posted: “Sant Dhadrianwale is highly respected & loved by Sikh panth. assassination attempt on him is a cowardly act.”
Sant Dhadrianwale is highly respected & loved by Sikh panth. assassination attempt on him is a cowardly act. pic.twitter.com/rfTVfR9XLN
— H S Phoolka (@hsphoolka) May 17, 2016