CHANDIGARH: Atleast 20 people have been arrested for allegedly injuring three persons by attacking them with sharp-edged weapons in Solan district of Himachal Pradesh. Police suspect that the reason behind the attack is an ongoing dispute.
The injured have been identified as Harsh (23), a resident of Ward Number 7; Lalit Kishore (23), from Sirmaur district; and Lalit Kumar (26), a resident of Bano village. They were brought to the Regional Hospital for treatment after sustaining injuries in the clash on Saturday. Lalit Kumar’s condition was critical, and he was referred to Indira Gandhi Medical College in Shimla for further treatment.
Superintendent of Police, Solan, Thirumala Raju SD Verma said a case has been registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 126(2) (wrongful restraint), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 191(3) (rioting and being armed with a deadly weapon), and 190 (unlawful assembly) against the accused.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the two factions had a dispute over some issue in the past, which led to the violent clash. Efforts are being made to recover the weapons used in the clash,” he said, adding that further investigation is underway.
According to a complaint lodged by an eyewitness, the incident occurred on Saturday when several men surrounded his cousin near a girls’ school, leading to an argument.
Ajay Kumar, one of the complainants, told police that on March 28, his cousin Abhishek had gone to the girls’ school to take an examination. However, he was accosted outside the school after the exam by some unidentified youths. Abhishek then called Ajay for help, following which he reached the spot with his friends and saw the youths forcibly dragging Abhishek towards the ITI.
He further alleged that when they left the spot and were on their way to Dhobighat Colony, around 15 to 20 men carrying sharp-edged weapons stopped them and started assaulting them. Harsh, Lalit Kishore and Lalit Kumar were injured in the attack.
In view of the seriousness of the case, three to four special police teams were constituted to identify and arrest the accused. Based on CCTV footage and spot examination, the police arrested 20 people.