Bagha Purana, (Moga), Aug 20 – Bagha Purana police of Moga district has registered a criminal case against Phul Mittal, editor of weekly ‘Malwa Mail’ and professor, author Inder Singh Ghagga, for allegedly hurting religious sentiments of the people.
The Moga district police last night arrested the author from his Patiala residence and produced him before the court of Judicial Magistrate Pratima Mahajan today.
As the police did not press for remand, the court sent him to judicial custody till September 4.
There was resentment among locals yesterday, as soon as the weekly was distributed which featured an article citing derogatory remarks against Hindu deities.
A protest was held in this regard in which the political parties and residents of the area demanded immediate arrest of the duo who were evading arrest.
Family members of Prof Inder Singh Ghagga, claimed on Wednesday that the piece was written three years ago and questioned the police action after a lapse of three years.
Alleging that the arrest of her father was “part of some conspiracy, known best to the authorities”, Ghagga’s daughter Navdeep Kaur, who is a UK resident and on a visit to her parental home, said the article was part of the book “Bigaani Dhi Praya Dhan,” which was published three years ago.
“It was available on the internet since then. It is beyond understanding why police have taken action on it three years after it was first published,” said Navdeep.
Moga police had arrested Ghagga, alleging that he had written a defamatory piece on Rakhri some time back, which provoked persons of a particular community to protest in Baghapurana town of Moga district on Tuesday.
Navdeep said Ghagga had gone to a private hospital due to a minor ailment and the police party took him away shortly after he returned from the hospital. Before taking him, police told them about the protests in Baghapurana, after a local paper published the article, she said.