Truck union president killed in clash over society land in Punjab's Mukerian

The 75-year-old president of a Truck Welfare Society here was killed during violent clash over a land dispute on Sunday, police said.

The incident happened near Talwara Road at Mukerian in Punjab's Hoshiarpur district.

According to police, Harbhajan Singh, a resident of Taggar Kalan village and president of the Mukerian Truck Welfare Society, was present in his office on Talwara Road along with some others when Sandeep Singh alias Sunny, a resident of Galadian village, allegedly arrived with five to six unidentified people.

They began using abusive language against Harbhajan Singh and allegedly tried to forcibly occupy the Truck Welfare Society land, police said citing a complaint filed by the deceased's son Sukhdev Singh.

When Harbhajan Singh and others resisted, Sandeep and his accomplices allegedly attacked them with bricks and stones. The septuagenarian sustained serious injuries to his chest and arm and collapsed at the scene. He was rushed to the Civil Hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead, police said.

In his complaint, Sukhdev alleged that Sandeep had already encroached upon a part of the Truck Welfare Society's land and constructed shops there. He was now trying to grab more of the society's land, which Harbhajan Singh had been opposing in his capacity as the president, he said.

Police said they have registered a case against Sandeep Singh and five to six unidentified individuals under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and further investigations are underway.