2 Nihangs kill man near Golden Temple over ‘chewing tobacco’

A 30-year-old “inebriated man who was consuming tobacco” in the vicinity of Golden Temple in Amritsar was hacked to death by three men, including two Nihang Sikhs, in the early hours of Thursday, police said.

A 30-year-old “inebriated man who was consuming tobacco” in the vicinity of Golden Temple in Amritsar was hacked to death by three men, including two Nihang Sikhs, in the early hours of Thursday, police said.

Ramandeep Singh, one of the accused who is a waiter at the hotel, alleged Harmanjit Singh was in an inebriated condition and was consuming tobacco products even as the Nihang Sikhs objected.

One of the accused has been arrested and efforts are on to nab the Nihang Sikhs, they added.

The incident took place at around 1am outside a hotel on Mahana Singh Road, nearly 800 metres away from the Golden Temple, and was captured on the hotel’s CCTV camera.

Ramandeep Singh, one of the accused who is a waiter at the hotel, alleged Harmanjit Singh was in an inebriated condition and was consuming tobacco products even as the Nihang Sikhs objected, given the area’s proximity to the Golden Temple, Amritsar commissioner of police Arun Pal Singh said.

Outraged by Harmanjit’s act, the Nihang Sikhs assaulted him and the waiter later joined the attack, the officer added.

“As per the arrested accused, the victim was drunk and was consuming tobacco products even as the Nihang Sikhs objected. His claims, however, are yet to be verified,” the officer said.

The arrested accused also claimed to not know the two Nihangs, who were later identified as Charanjit Singh and Tarundeep Singh, he added.

In a purported video of the attack that went viral on social media, the Nihang Sikhs are seen stabbing the victim with sharp-edged weapons. The attackers are later joined by the waiter.

The victim is seen struggling to sit after the assault but eventually succumbed to injuries on the spot.

HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.

“It is unfortunate that passers-by remained mute spectators and nobody intervened. The man kept lying on the street the entire night but nobody helped him or called the cops. Surprisingly, the assault also went unnoticed by police deployed in that area,” the police commissioner said.

The deceased was a resident of Chatiwind village, police officials said. His family said he had left home after he received a phone call on Wednesday evening, they added.

An FIR under section 302 (murder) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of Indian Penal Code has been registered at Police Station B Division, officials said.