Sarpanch succumbs to injuries after attack at behest of drug peddlers

Jalandhar: Butte Dia Chhanna village sarpanch and Jamhoori Kisan Sabha leader Mohinder Singh, who was attacked and seriously injured on Feb 28 morning, succumbed to his injuries during the intervening night of Friday and Saturday. He had sustained head injuries and was operated upon at a private hospital in Jalandhar. Sources claimed that the attack was orchestrated by a drug peddler. Following his death, Kisan Sabha and other farm and labour groups started a dharna outside Mehatpur police station on Saturday, demanding arrest of the main accused in the case; compensation to the bereaved family; a job for a member of his family; and action against the police personnel who provided information to the drug peddlers that the sarpanch was pushing for action against them.Jamhoori Kisan Sabha leader Major Singh said that the sarpanch was pursuing the police about the chitta (drugs) being sold in the area. Locals claimed that the sarpanch was attacked by five persons armed with kirpans and iron rods.Jalandhar Rural police had on March 4 arrested one of the accused, Sukhjit Singh, after a brief encounter with the police. Mehatpur police station SHO Pankaj Kumar said that a total of eight persons were booked in the case, and three of them were arrested, including two who attacked the sarpanch and the one conspirator named in the initial complaint. He said that the murder charge was added to the FIR. MSID: 129219226 413 |