Village panch blinded after assault by ‘drug peddlers’

Tribune News Service

Kapurthala, February 7

Narinder Singh, a panch of Fazalabad village, near here, has alleged that he had to pay a heavy price for raising his voice against some village youths involved in the drug menace. An assault on him by some youths last week has left him blind. While the seven suspects in the case are absconding, he has been running from pillar to post to get treatment for his lost vision.

It was not just him, but also his minor son who was hit by swords and sharp weapons on their heads outside their house which has left the entire family terrorised. His younger daughter too has not gone to school since January 29, the day when the incident occurred.

Recalling the fateful incident, Narinder, who runs a small dairy business, said: “I was returning home from Tarn Taran that day after attending a certificate course on dairy farming. On my way back, I decided to go to a barber’s shop to have a haircut. The barber told me to wait outside for a while when I saw seven village youths standing there. They started abusing me and I decided to go home to avoid any confrontation. The youths, who were in an inebriated condition, followed me to the home. They stopped my way and opened arms, attacked on my head and left me badly wounded.”

He said: “Since the spot was near my home, my family too came out. The youth caught hold of my son and hit him too with swords on his head. My wife and elder daughter too came out. They pleaded with the attackers to leave us and the suspects repeatedly made my daughter touch their feet to beg for my life.”

Narinder said since the day, he had lost his vision.

“I and my son were taken to several private hospitals in Jalandhar too but were eventually referred to the PGI in Chandigarh. We have returned home after remaining admitted there for over a week. The doctor has advised me surgery on the left eye, which will be conducted on February 11. They tried to treat the right eye with stitches. They have so far not given any assurance on whether I will be able to see again.”

He shared his worries: “I really do not know if I will be able to work again. I have a dark future in front of me. My family is dependent on me as I am the sole breadwinner. What if my vision does not come back? Seeing the laxity of the police, now I really feel that I should not have opened up against the suspects.”

The Fattu Dhinga police had lodged an FIR under Sections 307, 341, 323, 324, 148 and 149 of the IPC against the seven suspects, five of whom are from one family. None of the suspects has been apprehended by the police.

Chanan Singh, SHO, Fattu Dhinga police station, said: “We are trying to nab the suspects. Their houses are locked. We have conducted raids at places of their kin too but to no avail.”

He denied any involvement of the suspects in drugs, saying that there was no case against them.