M A I N   N E W S

Dera head, wife set on fire at Ludhiana village
Mohit Khanna/TNS

Ludhiana, July 12
Panic gripped Malapur village, near South City area, after a dera head and his wife were set on fire today allegedly by their neighbours over a dispute involving distribution of offerings. The incident took place this evening when some persons vandalised the dera and set Sushil Kumar (45) and his wife Shamma (40) on fire.

Village residents doused the fire and rushed the couple to the Civil Hospital from where they were shifted to the Dayanand Medical College & Hospital, sources said. Doctors said Shamma suffered over 60 per cent burns, while Sushil too was badly singed. Shamma's condition was stated to be serious.

The Haibowal police has registered a case against Jatinder Kumar Kala, Binder and Ginny, all neighbours of Sushil. Kala's mother and wife along with some unidentified persons too have been booked. The accused managed to flee, said the police.

The investigating officer said Sushil headed the Sajjan Shah Da Dera for nine years. Kala and the victim were reportedly at loggerheads over the alleged distribution of money and other articles that the devotees left in the dera as offerings.

The number of dera devotees over the past few years had swelled as it started receiving huge offerings, sources said. Kala, who also served at the dera, was reportedly unhappy that Sushil kept all the offerings. "Kala wanted the couple to leave the dera so that he could occupy the victim's chair," a police source said.

This Thursday again, the dera allegedly received huge offerings. “Sushil carried the offering to his room, Kala started arguing with him, saying suspicious people visited the dera regularly about which the victim did nothing. The argument turned ugly when Kala, Ginny, Binder, the two women and some unidentified people threw some valuables outside the room," said DCP Ashish Choudhary.

The couple retaliated, but they were overpowered and set on fire, he added. "Kala and Sushil had entered into a heated argument last year also, but the village panchayat had brought about peace," said the DCP.