Three jail officials suspended in Poohla case

Amritsar, Aug 29 (UNI) Three prison officials were today suspended in connection with the fatal attack on Nihang chief Baba Ajit Singh Poohla in the Central jail here yesterday and a magisterial probe has been ordered into the incident.

Deputy Commissioner K S Pannu today told reporters here that prison security personnel Madan Lal, Dilbagh Singh and Jagjit Singh have been suspended.

Meanwhile, with Baba Ajit Singh Poohla succumbing to his burn injuries at PGI, Chandigarh today, his attackers, Harcharan Singh and Navtej Singh have now been charged with a case of murder.

Yesterday, the case of ''attempt to murder'' was booked against the two jail inmates after they doused Baba Poohla with diesel and set him afire.

The Baba, in his statement to police in an Amritsar hospital where he was initially rushed to, had demanded a CBI probe into the attack.

The Nihang chief, who was arrested on May 13 in connection with the murder of seven people in village Khanpur in this district, had also said that he had requested the jail officials to shift him to a separate cell as he had received repeated threats to his life.

Police has made elaborate security arrangements for his cremation tomorrow at Nihang Tarna Dal headquarters at Baba Bakala in this district.

Meanwhile, hectic confabulations were taking place at the Nihang camp over the new successor of the sect.

UNI XC JN MMS1909