Punjab: Beldar killed for stopping illegal mining from canal

The deceased is identified as Darshan Singh (53), a resident of village Nathpur near Qadian, said a police official.

A beldar of the Punjab irrigation department was killed for stopping illegal mining of sand from a canal at village Kotla Bajja Singh falling under the jurisdiction of Rangar Nangal Police Station of Batala Police district, officials said.

The deceased is identified as Darshan Singh (53), a resident of village Nathpur near Qadian, said a police official.

The deceased is identified as Darshan Singh (53), a resident of village Nathpur near Qadian, said a police official.

The victim, along with his colleagues, was guarding the canal at night when they spotted some persons mining the sand illegally from the canal at around 1:40 am. On seeing the illegal activity, they stopped them, police said.

Police said the accused attacked the victim when he tried to take the tractor to the irrigation department.

“When Darshan Singh sat on the tractor, he was attacked by the driver, identified as Joginder Singh, with fists and a stick. This left him critically injured. Darshan’s colleagues took him to the hospital, but he was declared dead, the police said.

SHO Sukhwinder Singh said the victim was injured in the attack and subsequently died at a local hospital.

“A case has been registered against Joginder Singh, a resident of village Karnama, under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). He is on the run, and raids are on to arrest him,” he said.