Woman lynched in Barotiwala

Solan, January 27

A woman, Prito Devi, was lynched and four members of her family sustained injuries when a group of villagers attacked them at Kembawala village in the Barotiwala industrial area over a dispute to lay pipes yesterday.

The trouble started when Sada Ram, a villager, was stopped from laying a pipe in the village lane by Balbir Singh, Kulwant Singh and Khemraj. His wife Prito Devi came out in his support, but the trio continued to argue with them. Balbir Singh in a fit of rage caught Prito Devi by the neck and threw her on the road, while Kulwant and Khemraj thrashed her. Efforts made by Kulwant Singh’s father Bachna Ram to intervene failed. He too was beaten up by the trio.

Another villager, Kishori Lal attacked Sada Ram’s brother Gurdyal Singh with a sword, but he managed to defend himself. Meanwhile, Bachna Ram’s son Pawan Kumar and Arun attacked Gurdyal’s nephew Rajesh and Khem Chand beat him with a cudgel following which another villager Gursew caught his brother’s wife Shakuntala Devi and Arun beat her with cudgels.

At least six other villagers were also present there who were instigating Balbir and his associates to beat Sada Ram and his family members. Hearing their cries, other villagers rushed to the spot and they took Prito Devi, Bachna Ram, Shakuntala Devi and others to the CMC, Baddi. Prito Devi was declared dead by the doctors. A case was registered. — TNS