Nainital/Dehradun: The head servant of Gurdwara Nanakmatta Sahib Baba Tarsem Singh was shot dead by unidentified masked men in Udham Singh Nagar area of Uttarakhand on Thursday, police sources said here.
The sources said the incident took place between 6:30 AM and 7:00 AM outside the Dera. "It is reported that two motorcycle-borne assailants fired bullets at Baba Tarsem Singh, injuring him seriously. They then fled from the spot."
Uttarakhand Director General of Police (DGP) Abhinav Kumar said two masked individuals carried out the murder in the old section of the Gurdwara.
The police said Tarsem Singh was rushed to a private hospital in Khatima, where he succumbed to his injuries during treatment. Singh's murder sparked anger among his supporters and the people.
The sources said keeping in view the sensitivity of the matter, the Udham Singh Nagar district police personnel immediately sprung into action. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Manjunath, along witha police team, reached the spot and gathered information about the entire sequence of events.
Sources said several police teams have been constituted to trace the assailants. They are using CCTV footage and surveillance to track down the attackers.
STORY | Dera chief of Uttarakhand's Nanakmatta Sahib Gurdwara shot dead
VIDEO | The dera chief of the Nanakmatta Sahib Gurdwara in Uttarakhand was shot dead within the premises of the shrine by two bike-borne assailants early Thursday, police said.… pic.twitter.com/J4PjVQTEeL
Condemning the incident, Congress leader Yashpal Arya lashed out at the state's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government. He said even the Dera heads are not safe under BJP rule.
"This is not just the murder of the dera' head but also the murder of law and order," said Arya.
Arya further said that law and order under the BJP government has completely deteriorated.
Meanwhile, a Special Investigation Team (SIT), comprising the Special Task Force (STF) and the local police, is being constituted to investigate Baba Tarsem Singh's murder on top priority.
The Uttarakhand DGP said an appeal has been made to central agencies to share with the state cops any useful information that can help to crack the case.
He assured that the SIT has been directed to investigate the causes of the murder and apprehend the culprits with high priority and the findings will be disclosed soon.
