Gunfire in Himachal's Kasol: Tourist shoots local youth after argument, video goes viral; 4 arrested

KASOL: The police have arrested four tourists from Punjab and launched a search for a fifth accused after a local youth was shot in the leg during a violent altercation in Kasol, in the Parvati Valley of Kullu district, Himachal Pradesh, on Saturday evening.The incident occurred around 6 pm near a hotel in Kasol, where an argument reportedly broke out between a group of tourists from Punjab and local youths. The verbal dispute soon escalated into a physical fight, during which one of the tourists allegedly fired a shot, police said.According to the police, the bullet struck a local youth in the leg.A video of the incident also went viral on social media, showing the accused chasing the injured youth through the market while brandishing a pistol, triggering panic among residents and tourists in the popular tourist destination.The injured man was rushed to a nearby government hospital by local residents. He is undergoing treatment and is currently out of danger.A team from Manikaran Police Station reached the spot, seized the pistol allegedly used in the incident and detained four tourists from Punjab.The arrested accused were identified as Manpreet Singh (29) of Tarn Taran, Aman Randhawa (22) of Amritsar, Sukhmandeep Singh (17) of Ferozepur and Karandeep Singh (22) of Gurdaspur.Police said another accused, identified as Taman of Batala in Gurdaspur district, fled the scene and remains absconding. Efforts are underway to trace and arrest him, an officer said.The officer added that legal proceedings are being initiated under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and an FIR has been registered.