One killed, four injured in clash

One person was killed and four others sustained serious injuries in a violent clash that erupted at Boparai Khurd village under the jurisdiction of Lopoke police station here on late Monday night. The incident is believed to be the result of a long-standing rivalry between two groups in the village.

The deceased has been identified as Hari Singh (65), while the injured include Harjinder Singh, Satwant Singh, Lakhbir Singh and Harpreet Singh, alias Happy. All the injured victims have been admitted to various hospitals in Amritsar for treatment.

Keval Singh Pehalwan, former village sarpanch and nephew of the deceased, said the two families have had an old feud. He alleged that the attackers are linked to the ruling party and had previously framed their family members in false cases. “Earlier, 11 of our people were falsely implicated and five even spent time in jail,” Keval Singh claimed.

He further stated that the clash occurred when some youths were bursting firecrackers outside Harjinder Singh’s flour mill, which allegedly provoked the rival group to attack them. The attackers reportedly used sharp-edged weapons including kirpans and datars, along with firearms such as a pistol and a .315 bore rifle during the violent assault.

Lopoke Station House Officer (SHO) Satpal Singh confirmed that based on the statement of Jasbir Singh, son of the deceased, a case has been registered against 11 accused under charges of murder and other relevant sections of the IPC.

The accused have been identified as Ranjit Singh, Rashpal Singh, Ajit Singh, Ajaymer Singh, Gurtaj Singh, Kashmir Singh, Gurpreet Singh, Avtar Singh, Gurkamal Singh and Bikramjit Singh.

Police teams have launched raids to arrest the accused. SHO Satpal Singh stated that the situation in the village remains tense but under control and additional police personnel have been deployed to prevent any further flare-ups or untoward incidents.

Amritsar