Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh ordered an inquiry

Chandigarh, June 22: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Saturday ordered an inquiry into the fatal assault on the main accused in the Bargari sacrilege case at the New Nabha prison, warning of stringent punishment for the assailants.

ADGP Prisons Rohit Chaudhary will head the fact-finding committee, which has been asked to submit the report within three days. The inquiry will be in addition to the mandatory judicial inquest into the murder of the accused, Mahinderpal Bittu, who was arrested last year, according to an official spokesperson.

The Chief Minister has ordered beefing up of security in the state in the wake of the attack, while appealing to all communities to maintain peace and not give in to rumours. Those involved in the attack would face punishment for the crime, he asserted.

The incident occurred around 5:15pm , when Bittu was attacked by other inmates. He was rushed to Civil Hospital at Nabha, where he was declared brought dead, said the spokesperson.

Initial investigations have revealed that Bittu (49), a resident of Faridkot, was attacked by Gursewak Singh and Maninder Singh, who were in jail in a murder case.