Bittu, along with youth wing incharge Mandhir Singh, driver Palwinder Singh Shatrana and gunman Ranbir Singh Goh, was taken into custody as a part of preventive arrests that the Punjab Police undertook today in various parts of the state to crackdown on hardliners.

Apart from these four arrests, the Punjab Police has also taken into custody around 100 party workers and various district heads of the party, mainly from Mansa and Bathinda districts.

These arrests were made following the call of the party presidium for a gathering of all Sikh hardliners at Gurdwara Zafarnama in Dialpura in Bathinda to chalk out a plan for closure of Dera Sacha Sauda premises at Salabatpura, which is about four kilometres from this gurdwara.

Bittu, along with his men, was trying to reach Dialpura today morning, where an akhand path commenced. In order to dodge the police, Bittu and his men were travelling towards the Jalandhar bypass where they were arrested. Ludhiana Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) R.K. Jaiswal said, “These arrests have been made following the call.”

Adding to this, Ashish Chaudhry, SSP, Bathinda, said, “We are fully prepared to handle any kind of situation. The security of the common man will be taken care of.”

A local court has sent Bittu and others to judicial custody till December 26.

Jaspal Singh Manjhpur, spokesperson of the party, said: “These arrests took place at 9 am today morning. However, we have been directed by the party high command to go ahead with the programme as scheduled.”