Ludhiana: Four days after a Congress block president was brutally murdered in Takhran village, his family performed his last rites on Thursday, following the arrest of the main accused in the case.According to Congress leaders, the family had decided to wait for the arrest of those responsible before performing the last rites. Parminder Tiwari was attacked with an axe by assailants in Takhran village late on Sunday evening. He succumbed to his injuries at a private hospital.Congress leader Rupinder Singh Raja Gill said senior police officers informed them on Wednesday evening that the accused had been arrested. “It was the demand of the family as well as the Congress party that the cremation be done only after their arrest,” he said. When asked whether the murder was the result of a land dispute, Gill declined to comment, saying it was a deeply painful incident and more facts would emerge after police investigation.Former minister and Congress leader Gurkirat Singh Kotli said the main accused had been arrested and the motive behind the murder would become clear once the investigation progressed. He alleged that the law and order situation had deteriorated and claimed criminals were no longer afraid of the law.Political leaders from various parties, Congress workers and villagers gathered to bid a tearful farewell to the deceased. After the post-mortem, when Tiwari’s mortal remains reached his residence, the atmosphere turned emotional. His wife Kusum Tiwari, their children and other family members were inconsolable.Senior Congress leader advocate Jaspreet Singh Kalalmajra said the party would fight every legal battle to ensure justice for the bereaved family. At the cremation ground, Tiwari’s sons, Daksh and Abhivansh, lit their father’s funeral pyre.Senior police officers did not respond to calls regarding the reported arrest. Police sources said the accused may have been arrested from Bihar.
