Clash Between Sikhs And Sirsa Dera Followers In Mumbai

[jassa]

From rediff.com

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.

Comments by one Person on www.rediff.com website:

the scene

by Ankur Pandey on Jun 20, 2008 09:43 PM Permalink | Hide replies

I was at the scene when this all happened..i was just going to the parking lot. every thing happened in front of me. also inside the mall i saw n number of private guards who were lookin more like goons than guards loaded with weapons which included latest automatic ammunitions.

the baba who talks about love and peace was looking like a mafia with such a security.

some of the protestors started shouting murdabad slogans.

every thing was looking fully prepared..some ppl from baba's side came with open firearms and some with DANDAS, and they jumped on the crowd, i didnt see the gun fires, but i saw they beatup an elderly sardar on the head ..quite a horrifyn scene it was..then later on the protestors did a rasta roko ..luckily after a bit of wait i was home with my car..but when switched the news channels , there was full on jam on the road.

[nanosecond]

English News Channels( works with Internet Explorer)

CNN IBN

http://www.freeetv.com/mod.php?Video_Strea...tch-id-2077-d-1

NDTV24x7

http://www.freeetv.com/modules.php?name=Vi...id=1674&d=1

[sahib_bindra]

S PARAMJIT SINGH SARNA has urged to the chief minister of Maharashtra to immidiately issue arrest warrents against ram rahim and an action force has been sent by dsgmc to bombay

[nanosecond]

Bindra Sahib why does everything u have to post has to do with Sarna and DSGMC?

[Guest PunjabSingh]

The Sikh who was killed was not amongst the protestors .He just happened to pass by in his car and was killed by ram rahim's personal body guard.

[Matheen]

Bindra Ji, are you an official spokesman for Sarna?

This is serious and politics should be kept out of it.

[guptveer1469]

1 dead in Mumbai Sikh-Dera clash

By Our Correspondent

Mumbai

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.

RESPECT TO OUR SHAHEED OF THE CLASH: SHAHEED BHAI BALKAR SINGH JI

Any more info on this Singhji would be appreciated!

[guptveer1469]

To mods, merge this topic with this one:

http://www.sikhsangat.com/index.php?showtopic=37737

[khalistan_zindabaad]

vaheguroooo

[Azaad]

Man killed in firing by Dera chief’s bodyguard

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

Alert sounded in Punjab

Amritsar: The government has sounded 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.