Nihang clash: No arrest, victims’ kin seek security

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Gidderbaha/Muktsar, Oct 20

A day after the death of three Nihangs in a shootout, none of the accused had been arrested so far.

Two groups of the Shiromani Panth Akali Budha Dal had clashed over the control of a gurdwara at Mallan village in Gidderbaha yesterday, leading to the death of Naib Singh, Harvinder Singh and Amritpal Singh.

Naib and Harvinder’s families today demanded security and the immediate arrest of the accused.

Ranjit Singh, Harvinder’s father and Naib Singh’s nephew, a native of Mallan village, said, “The faction led by Baba Makhan Singh and granthi Satnam Singh fired around 100 rounds in the gurdwara. The police haven’t yet provided security to us.”

During a visit, cops were found deployed at the gurdwara on the outskirts of the village. However, none was present in the village.

There was no security at the Civil Hospital, Muktsar, where three of the seven injured persons are admitted. “The cops came to record statements last night and this morning,” said the attendant of an injured person.

Earlier in the day, the cops raided Dhulkot village after a tip-off but failed to find the accused.

Gurpreet Singh Gill, SSP, Muktsar, “We have booked 13 persons, including Makhan Singh and Satnam Singh, on the complaint of Ranjit Singh. The complainant has not sought security from us. Three raiding parties have been formed. A police team headed by a DSP remained present at the Gidderbaha Civil Hospital, where the post-mortem examination was conducted.”

On Tuesday evening, Naib Singh and his supporters had taken control of the gurdwara from Makhan Singh by showing an “authority letter” and had installed a hoarding at the entrance. Yesterday morning, Makhan Singh’s group allegedly called his supporters, who allegedly opened fire.

Sources said the gurdwara had been under Makhan Singh’s control for the past about 15 years.

Menwhile, the post-mortem examination of the Nihangs was delayed as the X-ray imaging machine at the Civil Hospital, Gidderbaha, was out of order. The bodies were then taken to the Civil Hospital, Malout, for the X-ray and brought back to Gidderbaha. The bodies of two Mallan village residents were handed over to the families in the evening.

“A board of three doctors conducted the post-mortem examination,” said Dr Pardeep Sachdeva, Senior Medical Officer (SMO), Gidderbaha. Sources said the bodies had several pellets of .12-bore gun, some of which could not be extricated.

Around 50 Nihangs from various sects attended the cremation of Naib Singh and Harvinder Singh at Mallan village late this evening. Baba Jassa Singh of the Budha Dal was among those present.