A 61-year-old shopkeeper and his daughter were injured after a group allegedly pelted their house with bricks and stones following a dispute over the timing of Ravana effigy burning in Baltana on Tuesday, police said.
The Zirakpur police registered a case on Wednesday against a local resident, Dushar, and 15 to 20 unidentified people for allegedly assaulting the family, damaging their house and threatening to kill them.
According to the complaint filed by Mohammad Shakir, a resident of Saini Vihar, Peer Baba Road, the dispute began around 12.30 pm on October 20. Shakir told police that children in the neighbourhood gather in a park every Dussehra to burn Ravana’s effigy. His son Kaif and another youth, Roshan, were standing near the effigy with their friends when Dushar, who lives in the same locality, arrived with five to six associates and insisted on setting it on fire immediately. Roshan objected, saying they should wait until the evening.
Around 6.30 pm, Kaif left with friends Sanjay and Gautam to visit the Dussehra fair in Sector 19, Panchkula. Shakir alleged that Dushar and his associates stopped them and threatened to kill anyone seen with Roshan. Kaif ran home, with the group following him. After he entered the house, the men allegedly threw bricks at the residence and left.
{{/usCountry}}Around 6.30 pm, Kaif left with friends Sanjay and Gautam to visit the Dussehra fair in Sector 19, Panchkula. Shakir alleged that Dushar and his associates stopped them and threatened to kill anyone seen with Roshan. Kaif ran home, with the group following him. After he entered the house, the men allegedly threw bricks at the residence and left.
{{/usCountry}}Shakir alleged that Dushar returned around 11 pm with a group of 15 to 20 people. They pelted the house with stones and bricks, damaging windows, doors and floor tiles. Shakir suffered injuries to his left knee and back, while a stone struck his daughter Ariba on her right foot.
The family raised an alarm, prompting neighbours to come outside. The group then fled, allegedly threatening to kill the family.
Shakir and Ariba received treatment at the Civil Hospital in Dhakoli. After the hospital sent a medical memo to the police, assistant sub-inspector Major Singh visited the hospital and recorded Shakir’s statement. Zirakpur police registered a case under Sections 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 126(2) (wrongful restraint), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), 324(4) (mischief), 190 (unlawful assembly guilty of offence), and 191(3) (rioting) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Police are trying to identify and arrest the suspects.