3 arrested, kin refuse to cremate body

Mansa : The situation remained tense at Gharangana village where the family members and relatives of 21-year-old Dalit boy Sukhchain Singh, who was brutally done to death by some influential persons on Monday, refused to cremate the body, demanding the arrest of six main accused and over 24 of their accomplices.The Mansa police arrested Balbir Singh alias Kala, Hardip Singh alias Kala and Sadhu Singh of Gharangana village late last night. The families of the accused have reportedly fled the village, fearing police action. “We won’t cremate the body till all the accused are arrested,” said Sukhvir Singh, victim’s brother.The police have assured the family of early action. “We are zeroing in on the remaining accused. They will be nabbed soon,” said SK Asthana, IG, Bathinda zone. He, however, claimed that during the investigations, they could not establish the involvement of any Akali leader in the case. “Both sides indulged in illicit liquor trade and had an old enmity,” Asthana said, adding that the missing left leg of the victim was recovered from the fields around 300 m away from the house of main accused Balbir Singh alias Kala.