Even as Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had “forgiven” the person who allegedly hurled shoe at him during an Independence Day event, police today arrested the accused and three others.
The main accused was taken into custody yesterday itself, but today police arrested him and three others.
Accused Vikram Kumar, a convener of the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Dhanaula Committee, was held at the spot, but his accomplices who, police said, had “updated” a senior AAP leader about the incident, were arrested later.
Ludhiana Range DIG G S Dhillon, in a release here, said the four arrested were Vikram Kumar of Dhanaula, Mahinderpal Singh of Dangarh, Harvinder Singh of Barnala and Hardeep Singh.
The DIG said that after conspiring to hurl a shoe at the CM, the accused had done recee of the spot.
Questioning of the arrested persons has revealed that they had conspired that Vikram Kumar would hurl the shoe and a video of the incident would be made by Mahinderpal Singh by using his mobile phone. This video was to be uploaded over YouTube, Whatsapp, Facebook and other social networking sites for maximum publicity.
He revealed that on pursuance of the conspiracy, Vikram, Mahinderpal, Harvinder and Hardeep came to the venue of the function in a car and parked the vehicle in the general parking area.
“The two video clips recorded by the accused show their pre-meditated designs,” the DIG said.
While announcing the arrest of three more youth in the incident, The Punjab police on Saturday linked the incident of hurling of shoe at Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal to Aam Admi Party MP from Sangrur, Bhagwant Mann. The police claimed that the companions of Vikram Kumar had informed Bhagwant Mann over phone while they met Bhagwant Mann at village Jarag and then went to Malerkotla. With dragging of Bhagwant Mann’s name, the issue has taken a serious turn.