4 killed, 8 injured as groups clash over sharing canal water in Punjab’s Batala

Four people were killed after two groups of villagers opened fire at each other over an old enmity at Sri Hargobindpur town falling in Batala district on Sunday night, police said on Monday. The clash also left eight injured.

The incident took place at Lighanwala Chowk in Sri Hargobindpur at 8 pm on Sunday when a group from the nearby Vithwan village, led by its sarpanch Angrej Singh along with his brother Baljit Singh and nephew Shamsher Singh, confronted the other group led by Major Singh, comprising residents of Vithwan, Gopalpur and Moorh villages.

A fierce fight ensued between the two groups with 50-60 gunshots fired by both groups at each other. A police patrolling party led by SHO Satpal Singh was first to reach the spot and their vehicle was also hit by one of the bullets.

As per police both Major and Angrej have been locked in a dispute over canal water being supplied to the farmland of both families.

Sarpanch Angrej Singh was injured, while his brother Baljit and nephew Shamsher were killed. Nirmal Singh of Moorh and Balraj Singh of Gopalpur from the rival group were also killed.

Two members of the Angrej Singh group and six of the other group, led by Major Singh of Vithwan village, were injured. The injured were admitted to the civil hospital at Batala, and some were rushed to a hospital in Amritsar.

Condition of some of the injured persons are out of danger, Batala SSP Ashwini Gotyal said.

“The clash was the fallout of an enmity between two families of Vithwan. They have been locked in a dispute over canal water being supplied to the farmland of both families. The patrolling party vehicle was also hit by a bullet,” the SSP added.

“An FIR has been registered on the statement of the SHO under Sections 103, 109, 132, 221, 324 (4), 191 (3) and 190 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Sections 25 and 27 of Arms Act – 1959 at Sri Hargobindpur police station and investigation is underway,” the SSP said.