Six nihangs owing allegiance to Misal Shaheedan Tarna Dal were injured when they were fired at by members of Sikh seminary Damdami Taksal on Friday evening at Chowk Mehta, 32km from here.
Sources said the nihang organisation members were grazing a large herd of cattle near Gurdwara Gurdarshan Parkash, the headquarters of Harnam Singh Khalsa-led Taksal, when they were attacked around 4pm after the animals allegedly entered the Taksal-owned fields and damaged the paddy crop.
After an altercation between the two sides, Taksal members climbed to the rooftops with guns and stones and attacked the nihangs. “So far, we have learnt that about six nihangs were injured in the firing,” Bau Singh, a representative of Misal Shaheedan Tarna Dal said.
Five of the injured were admitted to Guru Nanak Dev Hospital here, while one was in another hospital. Those injured have been identified as Manpreet Singh (21) and Sukhdeep Singh (21) of Udhonangal village; Jagtar Singh (32), Ranjit Singh (19) and Vijay Singh (18) of Mehta village; and Sukhman Singh (22) of Kuhar village, said Panthjit Singh, who had also sustained minor injury on his arm.
He said the cows and buffaloes they were grazing had not entered the fields and they were attacked by Taksal members without provocation. He said the incident took place at around 4pm. A video of the incident has also surfaced, in which Taksal members are seen firing gunshots.
{{/usCountry}}He said the cows and buffaloes they were grazing had not entered the fields and they were attacked by Taksal members without provocation. He said the incident took place at around 4pm. A video of the incident has also surfaced, in which Taksal members are seen firing gunshots.
{{/usCountry}}Sources said, nihangs also retaliated and pelted stones at Taksal members.
When contacted, Jandiala Guru DSP Gurinderbir Singh Sidhu said they are filing an FIR under relevant sections after going through details. He said, there was an old enmity between the two organisations and the number of people who indulged in the clash was nearly the same. “However, the nihangs did not have guns,” he said.
Taksal chief was not available over phone for his comment.