Clash over liquor trade leads to duo’s killing, mob fury in Dera Baba Nanak
DERA BABA NANAK (GURDASPUR): Two men were allegedly run over by another in an SUV after a clash over sale of liquor in Dera Baba Nanak, 36km from Gurdaspur, on Tuesday. It led to a mob torching a liquor vend and two SUVs of the contractor. Police later booked four unidentified person on charges of murder.
While police did not divulge details, witnesses told HT that fisticuffs ensued in the town’s main market after Subegh Singh and Sanjeev Kumar were “intercepted” by local liquor contractor Singla Group’s employee, identified as Billa, over bringing liquor on a scooter from nearby town Ramdas to sell here.
But the two men assaulted Billa near the bus stand before he left the spot in his SUV, it is further learnt. Sanjeev, 27, had contested the municipal polls with Congress backing in 2013; and worked for a contractor in Ramdas, it is learnt.
As the duo chased him on their scooter, he turned around near Fatehgarh Churian Chowk, and started chasing them instead; and crushed them under his Mahindra Bolero near the police station, said witnesses who did not want to be identified.
After their death on the spot, their family and friends rushed to a liquor vend in front of the police station and pelted it with stones before setting it afire along with two SUVs. They also thrashed another of the contractor’s employees, Sunny, who was admitted to the civil hospital later. It took more than two hours for the cops to calm the situation.
SSP Opinder Singh Ghuman later said, “On the statements of the victims’ family, we have registered a murder case against four unidentified persons. The situation is totally under control now. We are investigating the case from various angles. All employees of the liquor contractor are absconding. Some hideouts have been identified and teams dispatched.”
As the town remained on the edge, local MLA Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa of the Congress appealed for peace.
“The henchmen of liquor contractor had created terror in the town, but today they crossed all limits and killed two people. If the police won’t arrest them, we will hold a bandh in the town,” said Ashok Kumar, who claimed to have witnessed the incident.
But Nirmal Singh Randhawa, managing director Singla Group, said, “It’s a road accident. Our employees were on the Fatehgarh Churian road when the two suddenly turned left without giving any signal, which led to this accident. Later, the companions and family members of youths ransacked our liquor vend and torched our vehicles.”