Tussle over gurdwara control turns ugly, six hurt in firing
TARN TARAN : Tension gripped Manochahal village, around 20 km from the district headquarters here, on Tuesday after six persons were injured in a firing following a clash between two groups over the control of a local gurdwara.
Over 300 police personnel were deployed to bring the situation under control. Tarn Taran SP Tilak Raj said the incident took place when a group led by one Ranjodh Singh Jodha came to the gurdwara to take control of its management. However, a group of villagers, who were managing the gurdwara’s affairs for three years, objected to it, leading to the clash.
He said Jodha and his aides opened fire on the villagers in which six people received injuries. The injured have been identified as Baljinder Singh, Dilbagh Singh, Bhupinder Singh, Mandeep Singh, Darshan Singh and Parhlad Singh. They are undergoing treatment at the civil hospital, said the police.
Later, angry villagers set Jodha’s vehicle on fire and held members of his group hostage in the gurdwara, police said. They added that Jodha’s father had managed the gurdwara for 25 years, but after his death, the villagers took over. Two years ago, Jodha raised the issue of gurdwara’s management but he was given a piece of land as a compromise by the villagers. “Around 10 acres land was given to Jodha for cultivation but he wanted to possess the overall control of the gurdwara,” Aatma Singh, gurdwara management committee chief, told police.
Sadar police station in-charge Kamaljit Singh said Jodha and his 22 accomplices have been arrested. They have been booked under relevant sections of the IPC and the Arms Act.