‘Nihang’ attack on police team: 4 of 11 booked released

Patiala SSP says the four, including a woman, released on humanitarian grounds, after no evidence was found for their active role in the incident

PATIALA: Four days after 11 ‘Nihangs’ were booked for assaulting a police team and chopping off the hand of an ASI on curfew duty, four of them, including a woman, have been released on ‘humanitarian’ grounds, after police told court there was no evidence against them.

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Those released are Sukhpreet Kaur, Jaswant Singh, Darshan Singh and Nanna. They had been taken in police custody for ten days. Balwinder Singh, head of Dera Khichri Sahib, Karhali village in Patiala, is the main accused and continues to be in police remand.

“The individual role of all the accused persons was thoroughly verified and it was found that these four had very little active role in the incident at the Sabzi Mandi, Sanaur Road, Patiala. There is lack of evidence against these persons as well. We moved an application in court on these grounds on Thursday,” said Patiala SSP Mandeep Singh Sidhu, adding that the court took a lenient and sympathetic view and allowed the release.

The other accused still in police remand are Jagmeet Singh; Bant Singh, alias Kala; Gurdeep Singh; Jangir Singh; Maninder Singh. An accused, Nirbhai Singh, is in judicial custody. All of them have been booked for attempt to murder, grievous hurt, rioting, assaulting a public servant and under provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005. “Further investigation is on,” the SSP added.