‘Assault’ on Sikh vendor angers Akal Takht jathedar; seven employees of Machhiwara civic council suspended in Ludhiana district, 3 held.

Ludhiana: Seven municipal employees have been suspended and three arrested following the alleged assault on an ex-serviceman and his teenaged son during an anti-encroachment campaign in Machhiwara.The incident, captured in a viral video, sparked outrage across social media and drew a 24-hour ultimatum from Akal Takht jathedar Kuldeep Singh Gargaj. The Sikh leader warned the district police of personal intervention if they failed to act swiftly against the workers.The attack's target, Kuldeep Singh, an ex-serviceman who sells vegetables from a tractor-trailer, alleged that Machhiwara's municipal council staff targeted his stall exclusively despite the presence of other vendors. He wrote in his complaint that the employees had seized his weighing scales and, when questioned, attacked him with plastic crates and iron objects.Kuldeep Singh also alleges that he was humiliated and dragged by his hair, a grave religious insult. His son, 18-year-old Sumanpreet Singh, was also assaulted while trying to intervene.Deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Pritpal Singh Sandhu confirmed the Machhiwara police had registered a first-information report (FIR) under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Charges include attempted murder, armed rioting, and acts intended to outrage religious feelings.Three suspects — Sukhwinder Singh, Manoj Kumar, and Paras — are under arrest, while police search for the remaining four named in the complaint.Municipal council president Mohit Kundra condemned the violence and confirmed the suspension of all involved members of staff. Kundra said officials had orders to follow legal protocols during enforcement and not "take the law into their own hands". MSID:: 130829818 413 |
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