Land dispute: 8 injured as two factions of Namdhari sect clash in Sirsa
Sirsa police spokesperson Surjit Singh said the Jiwan Nagar sect of Sirsa, headed by Thakur Dalip Singh, and the followers of Satguru Udai Singh, head of the dera in Ludhiana, have been fighting over a 12-acre land adjacent the dera campus in Jiwan Nagar village.
Eight persons were injured after two factions of the Namdhari sect opened fire at each other over a land dispute near the dera in Sirsa’s Jiwan Nagar on Sunday.
The injured have been identified as Sukhchain Singh, Prem Singh, Kuldeep Singh, Sahab Singh, Karamjit Singh, Gurdeep Singh, Karan and Bihan Singh.
Sirsa police spokesperson Surjit Singh said the Jiwan Nagar sect of Sirsa, headed by Thakur Dalip Singh, and the followers of Satguru Udai Singh, head of the dera in Ludhiana, have been fighting over a 12-acre land adjacent the dera campus in Jiwan Nagar village.
“On Sunday, Satguru Udai Singh’s followers came in large numbers to take control of the land. Subsequently, followers of Dalip Singh also reached there and both groups got into a heated argument. Later, they opened fire at each other, leaving eight persons injured.” the spokesperson said.
He added that when a police team reached the spot, the groups fired at them too, but no cop was hurt.
The spokesperson said four of the injured are undergoing treatment at the Sirsa civil hospital while the other four have been referred to Maharaja Agrasen Medical College in Agroha, Hisar.
Sirsa superintendent of police (SP) Vikrant Bhushan also visited the spot and urged both factions to maintain peace and resolve the dispute through legal or administrative channels.
Police have booked 13 persons by name and 250-300 unidentified persons under various sections of Arms Act on a complaint filed by Namdhari dera management.
Heavy police force was deployed near the dera following the clash.