Chaos unleashed in Jalandhar on Holi, dhaba owner attacked, vehicles vandalised

Two acts of hooliganism rocked the city during Holi celebrations as unidentified miscreants wreaked havoc in separate incidents. In the first incident, a dhaba owner near the city bus stand was attacked, while the other involved vandalisation of vehicles in Santoshi Nagar.

Around half a dozen armed assailants stormed Prince Dhaba near the Jalandhar city bus stand around 8 pm on Friday. Armed with swords and other weapons, the attackers targeted dhaba owner Varun, who was inside the establishment. When an employee attempted to intervene, he was brutally beaten with swords and baseball bats. The assailants fled the scene after injuring Varun and two of his employees.

Upon receiving information, officials from the Division No. 6 bus stand police post arrived at the spot for investigation. They recorded statements of eyewitnesses and Varun and took the footage of the CCTV cameras installed at the dhaba into their possession to identify those involved in the attack.

The employee, who was brutally thrashed, was rushed to the Civil Hospital for treatment. The police said they were yet to record his statement as was still undergoing treatment. The police said they had taken CCTV footage from the dhaba to identify the attackers. Once the employee’s statement was recorded, an FIR would be registered in this connection, the police added.

Meanwhile, dhaba owner Varun revealed that the attack stemmed from an old rivalry. He had reportedly been receiving threats from assailants in days leading up to the incident. Despite ongoing discussions for reconciliation, the attackers took advantage of the festive occasion to strike at the dhaba. Varun has urged the police to take strict action against culprits.

In another incident, over 12 assailants stormed a house in Santoshi Nagar’s lane No. 4 on Friday night. Arriving on more than 10 two-wheelers, the attackers wielded sharp weapons and brass knuckles. When the family sensed danger and secured themselves inside their house, the attackers resorted to breaking windows of parked vehicles.

The entire incident was captured in footage of the CCTV cameras installed in the lane. An e-rickshaw driver, who attempted to stop miscreants, from vandalising vehicles was also assaulted by assailants. The police have launched an investigation into the case, but no arrests have been made yet. The police authorities said they were currently reviewing CCTV footage to identify attackers.