BAGHAPURANA—Over 200 Sikh activists were detained by the Punjab police prior to July 17 to bar them from taking part in culmination of an Akhand Path Sahib at village Bhagta Bhai Ka. The Akhand Path was being organized to kick off a campaign to seek beadbi culprits arrested. Over a dozen beadbi cases came to the fore this past year putting the entire state of Punjab in a very tense situation.
Sikh24 has confirmed that Jathedar Baljit Singh Daduwal, Baba Pardeep Singh Chandpura, Baba Jaswinder Singh Daduwal, Bhai Jasveer Singh Bhatti (HSGMC), Bhai Jeet Singh Khalsa (HSGMC) and a Punj Pyare Jatha of Singhs leading a protest march initiated from Daduwal were taken into custody. Chief Organizing Secretary of Youth Akali Dal Amritsar Bhai Papalpreet Singh was reportedly arrested in the afternoon of July 17. He was taken into custody by a troop of Punjab police from the bus stand of Baghapurana.
Similarly, Senior leader of United Akali Dal Bhai Satnam Singh Manawa, Bhai Ranjit Singh Sanghera (President of Shiromani Akali Dal Amritsar from Barnala) and a Jatha of Damdami Taksal (Ajnala) was also arrested by the Punjab police on July 17.
The Punjab police had earlier arrested several prominent Sikh personalities like Bhai Baldev Singh Wadala, Bhai Gurdeep Singh Bathinda, Jathedar Bhai Baljit Singh Daduwal and others in a massive crackdown on July 15 to prevent them from taking part in July 17 smagam at Bhagta Bhai Ka. President of Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) S. Simranjeet Singh Mann was also put under house arrest. The police also raided on the houses of almost all active Sikh activists while some of them escaped the raids.