Another hardline Sikh leader taken into custody

Acting against Sikh hardliners, police today took United Akali Dal general secretary Wassan Singh Zaffarwal into preventive custody, a day after several leaders, who organised 'Sarbat Khalsa', were arrested.
The former Khalistan Commando Force chief was picked up from his residence at Zaffarwal village near Dhariwal town of Gurdaspur district.
The arrest was part of the police crackdown on the leaders of Panthic organisations that had held a 'Sarbat Khalsa' at Chabba village near Amritsar on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, United Akali Dal head Mohkam Singh, preacher Baljit Singh Daduwal and "parallel" Akal Takht head Dhian Singh Mand and Amrik Singh Ajnala of Damdami Taksal were sent to judicial custody by a court here today.

They were arrested yesterday.
The 'Sarbat Khalsa', a massive gathering of Sikhs, had "appointed" Jagtar Singh Hawara, the convict in Beant Singh assassination case, as jathedar of Akal Takht.
Apart from Akal Takht, which is the supreme temporal seat of the Sikhs, the congregation (Sarbat Khalsa) also "removed" jathedars of two other Takhts-- Takht Kesgarh Sahib and Takht Damdama Sahib.