Woman killed in group clash in Amritsar

A 55-year-old woman, Lata Devi, was shot dead in a clash that ensued between two groups over an old enmity in Sandhu Colony on the 88-Feet Road on Thursday, about 1pm

A 55-year-old woman, Lata Devi, was shot dead in a clash that ensued between two groups over an old enmity in Sandhu Colony on the 88-Feet Road on Thursday, about 1pm. Sources said one of the groups had resorted to indiscriminate firing and the woman became a victim, as she stepped out of her house.

Police have booked two brothers, who had an old enmity with the woman’s son and had come to settle scores (Sameer Sehgal/HT)

Devi’s son, Prahlad Kumar, said, “I and my brother Sunny Kumar work as labourers. Four months ago, one Sunny (namesake of his brother) and his uncle Labha had accused my brother of teasing a girl. The case reached the police station where a compromise was reached, as Sunny and his uncle failed to prove their charges. Since then, the accused had been holding a grudge against my brother.”

Kumar added, “Two weeks ago, the accused met me in a market and a minor quarrel occurred. On Thursday afternoon, both came into locality, outside our house, and started hurling abuses. When we said we will file a police complaint, the duo fled. Minutes later, the two came back with a mob of 20 unidentified aides. All of them were armed and opened fire.”

He said, “We climbed to our rooftop and started pelting stones to disperse the accused. My mother, who was in the house, went out and two of the gunshots hit her. She collapsed and the accused fled. We rushed my mother to a nearby private hospital where she was declared brought dead.”

Amritsar Sadar SHO Parveen Kumar said they were yet to record the statement of the victim’s family. “Action will be taken,” he said, adding a that case under Sections 302 (murder) of the IPC and the relevant sections of the Arms Act has been registered against Sunny and some unidentified persons.