Tension gripped Kaithal’s Badsui village after a clash between Hindus and Sikhs over a piece of land left a person dead and 14 others injured..
The deceased, Shamsher Singh Punia, 54, was cremated amid heavy police deployment. The injured, Sandeep Punia, Partap Singh, Manprit, Devendra Singh, Sarbjit, Karamjit and Ranjit were admitted to Rajendra Hospital, Patiala, whereas two others Baljit and Jagmail Singh were referred to Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh.
Members of the other group, Charan Singh, Amit, Ravinder, Ravi Shankar, Dev Raj, Ajay and Mahinder, were also admitted to the Kaithal civil hospital with injuries. Kaithal SP Wasim Akram said the clash erupted over the possession of Shamlat land, which was equally divided between two religious shrines, but the members of one community started constructing a boundary wall between both the shrines, leaving the other community members agitated.
The SP said the Kaithal police have booked 36 people by name and 15 others, including 10 women, under Sections 302 (murder), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means) and 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon) of the Indian Penal Code. Sixteen people were detained for interrogation.
Kaithal DC Priyanka Soni said the situation was under control now. Rajesh Kumar, a resident of the village, said ?5 lakh was allocated to the village under MPLAD funds and the money was being spent on construction of a boundary wall and this led the clash. Police officials associated with the investigation say former sarpanch Om Prakash had instigated some people and he has been arrested.
{{/usCountry}}Kaithal DC Priyanka Soni said the situation was under control now. Rajesh Kumar, a resident of the village, said ?5 lakh was allocated to the village under MPLAD funds and the money was being spent on construction of a boundary wall and this led the clash. Police officials associated with the investigation say former sarpanch Om Prakash had instigated some people and he has been arrested.
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