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Satkar committee members attack nihangs in hospital ward, 2 injured
Attack came in response to a purported video of nihangs thrashing a committee activist went viral on social media.
Two nihangs were injured on Monday as nearly 15 activists of the Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Committee thrashed them in the surgical ward of Guru Nanak Dev Hospital in Amritsar, a day after the video of assault on a committee member went viral on social media.
While one of the nihangs, Ranjit Singh (36), allegedly assaulted by the Satkar committee members, was already being treated for injuries, the other injured, Manjit Singh, had come there to enquire about his health.
The attack took place despite police presence on the hospital premises. Deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Amrik Singh and other officials reached the spot to bring the situation under control.
On Sunday, a Satkar committee member, also Ranjit Singh (40), was injured after he was allegedly thrashed by the nihangs owing allegiance to the Dashmesh Tarna Dal at Chogawan village in the district.
The nihangs’ body had claimed they thrashed Ranjit in response to Satkar committee members attacking their fellow nihang Ranjit. The injured Satkar committee member was also in another ward of the same hospital when the attack took place. Later, he was shifted to another hospital.
The two sides were already in a tussle over some religious issues. To sort their differences, they had fixed a meeting at Chugawan village on Sunday.
“The Satkar committee members posted a video on social media to defame the nihangs,” said Narayan Singh, a nihang leader, from Amarkot in Tarn Taran.
On the statement of Major Singh, brother of injured nihang Ranjit of Bhittewad village, a case was being registered against Satkar Committee’s Sukhjit Singh Khosa and 10-15 unidentified members under Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon) and 149 (unlawful assembly) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at the Majitha road police station, said station house officer (SHO) Prem Pal.
Amritsar senior superintendent of police (rural) Parampal Singh said a case was also registered against nihangs Major Singh, Bhupinder Singh, Vicky, Nishan Singh, Navpreeet Singh, Narayan Singh, Pargat Singh, Baldev Singh, Kala Jabbowal besides 10-12 unidentified people under Sections 365, 382, 341, 342, 323, 427, 295, 148, 149, 323 of IPC at the Rajasansi police station.
