Elderly man, beaten up, stripped over land dispute in Jagraon

LUDHIANA : A group of 19 people stripped an elderly man, dragged him by his hair and thrashed him with slippers on the Kacha Malak road in Jagraon on Tuesday following a land dispute.

The accused also videotaped the incident in their mobile phone and posted it on social networking sites.

The victim took shelter in a gurdwara to save himself. The Jagraon police have registered a case against Avtar Singh of Patti Multani, his brothers Inderjit Singh and Jagtar Singh, Boota Singh and Harjinder Singh of Aligarh, Harjit Singh and Gurdev Singh of Kothey Hari Singh, Darshan Singh and Jung Singh of Abbupura and 10 others who are yet to be identified.

The victim, Mahinder Singh, 62, said the accused wanted him to vacate his agricultural land for which they had prepared forged documents. He alleged that on Tuesday morning, the accused laced with swords and sticks barged in his house, dragged him to the market and thrashed him with slippers. When female members of the family tried to intervene, the accused abused them, it is alleged.

Jagraon station house officer Inderjit Singh said the victim has been admitted to a hospital in Jagraon.

A case under the Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 452 (house trespass), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 294 (obscene act), 295 (hurting religious sentiments), 506 (criminal intimidation), 148 (rioting) and 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object) of the IPC has been registered against the accused.

A hunt has been launched for arrest of the accused, the SHO added.