ON Saturday, eleven people from the Nihang, a Sikh warrior sect, attacked a police party that resulted in a sub-inspector losing his hand after it was chopped off by a sword. The incident took place in the vegetable market of Patiala. Here are the 10 things to know about the incident.
What is the Nihang Sect?
The Nihang or Akali sect is an armed warrior sect of Sikhs originating from the Indian subcontinent. They are believed to be originated from Fateh Singh and the attire he wore. Later Akali Dal was started by Guru Hargobind.
The Nihang’s defied lockdown
The accused group that includes a woman defied the lockdown restriction and even violated social distancing norms as they arrived through the barricades of the police into the vegetable market region of Patiala.
5 People involved in the attack
The group that attacked the policemen after they were asked to show the curfew passes were 5 in number. They later attacked the policemen and ran through the barricades of the market.
The operation to nab them
In an operation led by the Inspector General of Police, Jatinder Aulakh and Senior Superintendent of police, Mandeep Sidhu, arrested the accused after they escaped and sought refuge in the Nihang complex in Balbera.
Main Perpetrator
According to the Director-General of Police, baba Balwinder Singh, the head of Nihang, is the main accused of the attack with four other persons.
A Stand-off that lasted for several hours
The police and the Nihang had a stand-off that lasted for several hours as the police team led by the Patiala SSP repeatedly appealed to them to surrender their weapons and swords. But they refused to surrender.
Shots were fired at the Police
After repeated announcements, the police hear noises from the gurudwara premises as people were held as hostages following which the police team entered the premises of caught hold of them. Before that, there were shots fired at the Police.
A huge chunk of weapons sealed
A big chunk of weapons were sealed in the operations such as barchhe and kirpans, some cartridges, two petrol bombs, and LPG cylinders. Along with that, five bags of opium were also confiscated.
Sub-Inspector hand chopped off
Assistant Sub-Inspector, Harjit Singh’s hand was reported chopped off by the Nihang during the operation. Currently, he is undergoing plastic surgery in the hospital.
Two separate cases filed
Two separate cases have been filed against the accussed – one for the incident at the vegetable market and the other for an attempt to murder.
Source: The Hindu
