Amritsar on edge amid protest as little headway in Hindu leader’s murder

Amritsar police commissioner SS Srivastava said the probe is at an initial stage. “We cannot rule out the involvement of anyone, including radicals, at this stage.”
Amritsar : A day after the sensational killing of right-wing activist Vipan Sharma, Amritsar police was yet to make any arrests in the case despite claiming “vital clues” on Tuesday.
The police suspect the involvement of two local gangsters. “One of them belongs to Sultanwind area in Amritsar and is wanted in several criminal cases. The other one is from Chabal village in Tarn Taran. We are looking for them,” a senior police officer said on condition of anonymity. The pictures of one of them even went viral on social media in connection with the case.
Amritsar police commissioner SS Srivastava said the probe is at an initial stage. “We cannot rule out the involvement of anyone, including radicals, at this stage,” he said. Police also carried out raids at two places in Katra Baghian, rounding up two persons who were let off after questioning.
“It seems to be a case of personal enmity due to his business operations, but we are also investigating the other possible theories,” said additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP)-1, Charanjit Singh. Sharma was into cable TV operations.
‘No link with others’
Chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh too ruled out any link between Monday’s incident and previous killings of right-wing leaders in other parts of the state. “Prima facie there is no connection. The previous ones had different modus operandi, but the killer was caught on camera this time,” he told HT. The CM said he has asked the director general of police to beef up security of all the right and left wing leaders.
In Delhi, a person belonging to a pro-Khalistan outfit was nabbed outside the international airport and handed over to Punjab police, but they denied any connection with the killing of Sharma, who was district president of an outfit named Hindu Sangharsh Sena.
Meanwhile, the Amritsar police had a field day as hundreds of activists gathered on Tuesday to protest against the daylight murder, as the holy city turned into a cantonment with security beefed up following the call for Punjab bandh by Hindu outfits. DGP, law and order, HS Dhillon also reached the city that had hundreds of cops on the streets throughout the day.