Youth killed in group clash over land dispute in Mullanpur area

Tribune News Service

Mohali, August 2

A 22-year-old youth was killed while his father and brother sustained injuries in a group clash, which took place at Chhoti Perch village in the Mullanpur area, here this morning. The clash took place over a land dispute.

The police have booked 12 persons, including four women, all members of a family, for the murder of the youth and other charges.

The victims have been identified as Sundar Lal, the deceased, his brother Sohan Lal and their father Som Nath, alias Soma, all residents of Badi Perch village. The trio was shifted to the PGI, Chandigarh, where Sundar Lal was declared brought dead while Soma and Sohan Lal were admitted there in a critical condition. Both have received injuries on arms, chest, back and other parts of the body.

The police have registered a case under Sections 302, 307, 323, 148, 149 and 506 of the IPC against Avtar Singh, his wife Parlo, his brother Kaka Singh, Kuldip Kaur (Kaka’s wife), Nirmal Singh, Isho Devi (Nirmal Singh’s wife), Gurdip Singh (Nirmal’s son), Jang Singh (Nirmal’s brother), Guddi, Sukhminder Singh, alias Mitthoo, and Chotta Singh (both Jang Singh’s sons) on the complaint of Soma at the Mullanpur police station.

The area’s Station House Officer, inspector Iqbal Singh, said that sharp-edged weapons, including sickle and axes, were used in the clash.

“The clash took place over the possession of a piece of shamlat land (common village land). Both the parties claimed their possession on the piece of land,” said the SHO.

The inspector said the complainant (Soma) alleged that he along with his two sons, Sundar Lal and Sohan Lal, were working on the land in question, when all the accused, carrying sticks and sharp-edged weapons, came there and ordered them to vacate it.

“When we tried to argue with them (the accused), they attacked us with the weapons. We raised the alarm, following which my nephews Major Singh, Gurbaksh Singh and other acquaintances came to help us. Seeing them come, the accused fled from the scene,” alleged Soma. Inspector Iqbal Singh said that investigations were on in the case.