Pakistan court grants bail to man who vandalised statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh

A Pakistan court on Friday has granted bail to the man who vandalised the statue of Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh at the Lahore Fort in the country.

According to The Express Tribune, counsel of the accused identified as Rizwan informed the court that the police completed their investigation and have recovered a hammer from his possession. The accused was arrested on Tuesday, according to Samaa TV.

The vandalism has happened for the third time in recent years. Ranjit Singh's statue was also vandalised in December 2020.

The nine-foot-tall structure in cold bronze was unveiled at the Lahore Fort on June 27, 2019, to mark the former ruler's 180th death anniversary.India has condemned the vandalisation of the statue.

Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) chief Manjinder Singh Sirsa also condemned the incident, stating Pakistan's radicals have once again hurt Sikh sentiments by vandalising Maharaja Ranjit Singh's statue.

"I have apprised Jt Secretary, Minister of External Affairs (PAI) JP Singh about this incident who has assured me that he would take up this matter with Pakistan embassy in India and ask them to take a strict action to curb such hateful vandalising events," Sirsa said in a video posted on his Twitter handle.

Maharaja Ranjit Singh, known as Lion of Punjab, Singh was the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire who ruled over Punjab for close to four decades.

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