Ludhiana: Body of man thrown into Sidhwan Canal 2 days ago found

Three arrested; deceased and his brother thrashed by residents after a couple accused them of snatching their belongings; cops are trying to ascertain if the victim had anything to do with

The body of Gurvinder Singh alias Mani, who was allegedly thrown into the Sidhwan Canal near Jaspal Bangar village after area residents accused them of executing a snatching, was recovered near the Jawaddi bridge on Saturday. Three persons have been arrested, police said. The victim also bore a head injury, indicating that he may have been assaulted before being dumped into the canal.

Inspector Gurmukh Singh, SHO at Sahnewal police station, confirmed the arrests and said after receiving the statement of Rupinder Singh, the police registered a murder case. (HT Photo for representation)

The Sahnewal police have registered a murder case and arrested three accused — Ram Babu, Vijay Kumar and Akshay Kumar, all residents of Ganpati Colony in Jaspal Bangar. The FIR was registered on the statement of Rupinder Singh of Harnampura village, brother of the deceased.

According to police investigations, around 20 persons had on Thursday confronted Gurvinder and his brother Rupinder after a couple from Jaspal Bangar claimed that the duo had snatched their belongings. The enraged family members and local residents reportedly gathered at the spot, leading to a clash.

Rupinder alleged in his statement that during the scuffle, the accused forcibly pushed Gurvinder into the canal, while he himself managed to escape and raise the alarm. As the word spread, villagers thrashed the accused, with some of them being handed over to the police. One of the accused, identified as Naresh, also sustained injuries during the clash.

The SHO added that the incident followed a snatching from a couple in the locality, who informed their relatives after reaching home. It was after this complaint that the mob tracked and confronted the brothers.

While the police have moved swiftly with arrests, officials admitted it is yet to be ascertained whether Gurvinder and Rupinder were actually involved in the alleged snatching.