14 injured in clash between two Kanwar groups in Sector 12

Five cars and SUVs, including a police emergency response vehicle, were badly damaged as the groups resorted to pelting stones and bricks, police said

Gurugram

14 people were injured in a clash between two groups of Kanwariyas in Sector 12 on Friday morning, over an incident of road rage that took place on July 27 when both groups were leaving for Haridwar, police said. (SCREENGRAB)

At least 14 people were injured in a clash between two groups of Kanwariyas in Sector 12 on Friday morning, over an incident of road rage that took place on July 27 when both groups were leaving for Haridwar, police said.

Five cars and SUVs, including a police emergency response vehicle, were badly damaged as the groups resorted to pelting stones and bricks, police said.

Assistant commissioner of police (crime) Varun Kumar Dahiya said they have CCTV footage and multiple videos of the entire clash. “The suspects will be arrested soon. Both sides already had rivalry on different issues, including the road rage which culminated into the clash. An FIR in connection with the clash was under process of being registered,” he said.

Police said that on July 27, a vehicle of the group of Kanwariyas from Prem Nagar damaged a vehicle of the other group, who reside in a slum in the vicinity, while overtaking them on their way to Haridwar. Police said the issue was settled, but the slum dwellers allegedly attacked the Prem Nagar group on Friday morning when both sides met after offered holy water at a temple in Sector 12, which snowballed into a fight.

Injured persons from the Prem Nagar group were identified as Dharmi Kumar, 61, his sons Rohtas Kumar, 32, and Narender Kumar, 28, Rohtas’s wife Chhamma (goes by a single name), 29, and a 15-year-old boy, Dheeraj Kumar.

Civil Hospital officials said Dharmi sustained bruises and blunt force injuries, and his sons and a daughter-in-law sustained deep cuts to their heads and limbs after being attacked with swords and ice picks.

From the other group, the injured persons were identified as Rajdhani Devi, 50, her sons Sagar Kumar, 30 and Alok Kumar, 28, and Sagar’s pregnant wife Reena Devi, 27, besides Gudiya, Tanusha, Shivam, Vicky and Akash, who all go by a single name and are in their early 20s. Hospital authorities said that the attendants of these nine persons were asked to get registration slips prepared for admission but all left without any treatment.

A senior doctor, wishing not to be identified, said that except Gudiya, all had bruises and blunt force injuries. “Gudiya’s right leg was badly fractured and it had a lacerated wound too. Her attendants told that they were taking her to a private hospital,” the doctor said.

Dahiya said it forces from six neighbouring police stations were called in to quell the clash. Also, slum residents were protesting on the Old Delhi-Gurgaon Road for an hour after the clash and were dispersed.

Narender, who had sustained deep cuts to his right wrist and head from a sword, alleged he was at the entrance of his house when a group of slum dwellers attacked them without provocation.

“Four of them had swords, one had an ice pick and another one a countrymade pistol. My father was talking to a neighbour at that time. He and several other locals ran inside a garage for shelter but suspects barged inside and assaulted them. They badly damaged my SUV,” he said.

Muskaan and Sanju Devi, two women from the slum, alleged that the Prem Nagar group assaulted them initially, without provocation. “They didn’t even spare pregnant Reena who was assaulted while trying to save her husband,” Devi said.