Brawl over loud Lohri music leaves man dead in Mohali

Five men rain blows, punches on 45-year-old for objecting to loud music outside his house in Mohali’s Shyampur village

Lohri celebrations turned into mourning after a 45-year-old farmer was beaten to death by five men for objecting to loud music outside his house in Shyampur village on Monday night.

The deceased, Baljit Puri, is survived by his wife and three children, said Mohali police. (HT)

Acting swiftly, Sohana police arrested the key accused, Narinder, alias Ninder.

Along with Narinder, four other accused, including Inderpreet Singh, Sachin, Prajlav, alias Pajju, and Jaswinder Puri, alias Ghati, all residents of the same village, were booked for murder.

According to police, the victim, Baljit Puri, 45, had confronted Narinder after the latter parked a tractor playing loud music outside his house around 11.30 pm.

The victim initially requested Narinder to lower the music volume, but to no avail. Puri then videographed the tractor and summoned the village sarpanch.

But even after the sarpanch asked Narinder to bring the volume down, he did not relent. Rather he replaced the tractor after its battery ran out, continuing to play loud music.

Annoyed with this, the victim again approached Narinder to remove the tractor, following which all accused broke into his house.

Enraged by Puri’s persistent opposition, the accused allegedly rained punches and kicks on him, targeting his chest. As Puri fell unconscious, they fled the scene. The victim’s family rushed him to GMCH, Sector 32, Chandigarh, where doctors declared him dead.

The victim’s brother Rampal Puri alerted the police, who booked all five accused and promptly arrested Narinder.

An investigator said the accused had old enmity with the victim over unpaid commission in lieu of sale of a property.

“We have nabbed Narinder and raids are being conducted to arrest the other accused,” a cop said.

The deceased is survived by his wife and three children.