Dhule gurdwara head attacked with sword by worker; now stable

Nashik: Dheerajsingh Khalsa, the 61-year-old head of the Gurunanak Sahebji gurdwara in Dhule city, was attacked with a sword by a recently appointed worker on Monday morning.Khalsa suffered serious injuries to the head, jaw and back when Umesh Malode, a 24-year-old from Nashik city, struck him with a sword at 9.30am in the porch of the gurdwara. When assistant manager Ranvirsingh Khalsa noticed the attack, he tried to intervene. Malode attacked him too, as well as another person with the sword. As these people started shouting, others in the gurdwara rushed to the spot and overpowered Malode.Inspector Deepak Patil, of the Dhule city police, "A surgery has been performed on Dheerajsingh Khalsa and, according to the doctors at the private hospital where he has been admitted, his condition is now stable.""Malode also suffered injuries to his hand after he was caught and beaten up by others in the gurdwara. He is also receiving treatment in the same private hospital," he added."Malode began visiting the gurdwara daily for food in Oct. Dheerajsingh Khalsa had enquired about his circumstances and learned that Malode had no arrangement for food or accommodation, after which he was appointed as a sevak with a monthly salary of Rs 7,000," Patil said.According to Ranvirsingh Khalsa, who filed a complaint with the Dhule city police, Malode had been carrying out his duties regularly, but spoke very little.On Tuesday, Malode suddenly picked up a sword in the gurudwara and attacked Dheerajsingh Khalsa and injured two others. Inspector Patil said they had registered a case under section 109 (attempt to murder) of the BNS and other sections of the Indian Arms Act. Since Malode is also hospitalised, he has not been arrested or interrogated yet, Patil said.