The police today slapped sedition charges on 20 persons out of the 48 arrested since November 11 amid fear of law and order problem after the controversial Sarbat Khalsa and appointment of “parallel” jathedars.
Those booked for sedition include 10 leaders of various organizations, who played a key role in holding Sarbat Khalsa, include Mohkam Singh, president, United Akali Dal, Bhai Baljit Singh Daduwal (appointed “jathedar” of Takht Damdama Sahib), Bhai Dhian Singh Mand (“officiating Akal Takht jathedar”), Bhai Amrik Singh Ajnala, Wassan Singh Zaffarwal, and United Akali Dal general secretary Gurdeep Singh Bathinda.
NRI Sikhs from different countries who took part in Sarbat Khalsa are slapped with sedition charges as well. Bhai Harinder Singh Sikhri USA, Surjit Singh USA, Resham Singh USA, Gurtej Singh USA, Balwinder Singh Italy and another Singh from UK among those named in FIR.
The arrests were made following an attempt by Sarbat Khalsa jathedars at Bandi Chhorh Divas to address the Sikh World. The government has lodged them in separate jails.
The cases were registered reportedly after Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal held a meeting with police officers during his Amritsar visit on Friday.
The leaders were earlier booked under Sections 107, 151 CrPc and sent to jail for 14 days. Now, they have been booked under Sections 124-A and 153-A of the IPC.
SAD (Amritsar) president Simranjit Singh Mann, who was taken into preventive custody on November 11 and released yesterday, too has been booked along with the three Takht “jathedars” and their supporters.
DIG (Border Range) Kunwar Vijaypartap Singh confirmed that the main organisers of the congregation and others who addressed the gathering with repulsive dialect were booked under sedition charges at Chattiwind police station.
All of them, except Mann, are already behind bars as they were picked up by police for preventive detention soon after the event. Mann was also taken into preventive custody but was released later.
Police are going through the contents of the speeches made at the event for further action, officials said.
More arrests are likely in future, as the police are scrutinising the speech of several speakers.