Aman Sood, Tribune News Service
Patiala, April 17. A young property dealer had died after he was mercilessly beaten up allegedly by a former SAD sarpanch and his nine associates, including the sarpanch’s son, following a minor road rage incident here on Sunday night.
Before kidnapping, the sarpanch and his son openly fired in the air to scare onlookers.
The police was unaware of the incident till Monday morning when the victim was found abandoned near Baran village in a critically condition by his relatives. He was rushed to a private hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
The deceased has been identified as Tejinder Singh (30), a resident of Ranjit Nagar here. He is survived by his wife and a two-year-old daughter.
Victim’s cousin Jagjit Singh said, “When I was going to drop Tejinder at his home, a motorcycle hit my car near Seona road and we had a verbal spat with the biker. Suddenly, some of his friends reached the spot and started hitting us. A little later, Harbans Singh accompanied by his son and others also reached the spot in two cars and fired in the air twice. They started hitting us and forcibly put Tejinder in their car. I managed to escape from the spot.”
Tripuri SHO Karan Sher Singh said that the victim died due to injuries inflicted using a screwdriver or a poker. “We are yet to arrest the accused”, he said.
Family members and relatives of the victim alleged that the police had failed to act even after kidnappers fired shots and openly kidnapped Tejinder. “Police is shielding the accused as the main accused is very close to a former MLA and with his connivance the accused are absconding along with their weapons,” alleged relatives of Tejinder, who was the only son of his parents.
The police has registered a case under Sections 302, 364, 309, 148, 149 and the Arms Act against Jatinder Singh, his brother Sapinder Singh, Gurdeep Singh, Bhajan Singh, Harpreet Singh, Harbans Singh Lang, Amritpal Singh, Gursewak Singh, Dharampal Singh and Harpreet Singh.
