Mehatpur, (Jalandhar), July 29
Balloki village virtually turned into a police cantonment area as additional police forces were rushed to control the situation that arose with the gunning down of a school boy, Manpreet Singh, allegedly by a dera chief, about 5 km from here, today.

A middle-aged widow, Usha, a close relative of the deceased, also sustained bullet injuries as the dera chief opened fire from a .12-bore gun on the mob outside the main gate of Dera Bodh Dass.

The incident occurred after dera head Gursharan Singh allegedly passed objectionable remarks against Maharshi Balmiki, leading to a clash between members of the community and dera followers this afternoon.

After the clash, Gursharan Singh went inside, took out his gun and opened fire on the irate members of the community.

Manpreet Singh, a Class VIII student of Government High School, Balloki, was killed on the spot, while Usha sustained serious bullet injuries in the firing incident.

District police chief P.K. Rai and deputy commissioner Ajeet Singh Pannu reached the village amid heavy police force to control the irate mob that set the dera afire after ransacking it and setting vehicles on fire in police presence.

Seeing the situation getting out of control, the district administration had to seek additional police force from Kapurthala.

The police also brought in riot control vehicles and fire engines to bring the situation under control. The village was virtually cordoned off by the police to avoid any untoward incident.

Efforts to evict the dera proved futile till late this evening.

Enquiries by The Tribune team at the spot revealed that the mob pelted stones and bricks on the cops following which the police was forced to resort to a cane charge. In the process, over six cops, including SP (Headquaters) Satinder Singh sustained injuries on his forehead while whisking away the dera chief.

Besides firing in the air, the police also lobbed tear gas shells at the mob and left over a dozen persons injured. The episode lasted over two hours.

A heart rendering scene was witnessed at the civil hospital, Nakodar, where family members including Amarjit Singh, father and Praveen, the mother of the deceased were inconsolable.

Accompanied by his staff members, Niramal Singh, the headmaster of the school, Balloki, reached the hospital to have a last look at his student. Talking to The Tribune, he claimed that the incident occurred during the recess period when the students had assembled at the dera after hearing altercations.

Usha recalled that she, along with other villagers, had gone to the dera after receiving information about Manpreet’s death. She claimed that the baba had opened fire on some youths of the village who had raised objections on his remarks about Maharshi Balmiki.

“Th baba also fired bullets indiscriminately from his gun and a bullet hit my thigh following which I collapsed,” she recalled.

The body of Manpreet Singh has been kept at the Nakodar civil hospital for a post-mortem examination to be conducted tomorrow.

The district administration has tightened security by deploying additional police force in and around the village to avoid any untoward incident.

Meanwhile, dera chief Gursharan Singh has claimed that he opened fire in self-defence.

Sultanpur Lodhi, July 29
Mohinder Singh (40) of Laduka Mandi village in Fazilka, Ferozepore district, was killed when he fell into a well in a field at Phauji Colony, near Karamjeet village.

He along with his friend Harbans Singh (50) of the same village had come to Beas to attend a marriage function. They decided to visit the house of Barjinder Singh Billa, in whose fields they used to sow paddy, in Karamjeet village on last evening.

After drinking liquor and taking dinner, Billa asked them to sleep at his house, but they insisted to sleep in the fields as they used to do so in the days of paddy sowing. They left the house at about 11 pm for Billa’s fields, located at nearby Phauji Colony.

When Billa went to the fields in the wee hours next day to give them tea, he found that they have fallen into a 50-feet-deep well. Billa called other villagers and they pulled them out of the well with the help of ropes. Mohinder Singh was already dead, while Harbans Singh was alive.

Harbans Singh was rushed to a private hospital in Jalandhar, where his condition is stated to be critical.

Hoshiarpur, July 29
To protect the subdivision from the fury of floods, it has been divided into nine sectors.

An officer has been made in charge of each sector. This was disclosed by SDM Capt Karnail Singh while addressing a meeting of the flood control committee here today.

A help centre has been set up in each sector and a flood control room has also been established having telephone No 01882-220796 at the tehsil office. The SDM has instructed all officers concerned to get all drains cleaned and strengthen guide bandhs at weak points.

He has instructed the health authorities to form teams of doctors, arrange required medicines and ambulances. He has instructed all officers of the agriculture and veterinary departments to arrange fodder and required medicines for animals during the flood-like situation. The officers have been ordered not to leave their headquarters without prior permission.

Hoshiarpur, July 29
The district has geared up for the annual Sawan Ashtmi fair which is to be held in honour of the holy shrine of Goddess Chhinmastika Chintpurni from August 2.

Dozens of NGOs from all over the state would arrange free langars consisting of edibles including meals, snacks, fruits and soft drinks etc. for the pilgrims on the 52 km long route from Hoshiarpur to Bharwain from August 2 to August 9.

According to sources, more than 10 lakh pilgrims from all over India would participate in this 7-day-long fair. They would pass through the city on vehicles and on foot to pay their obeisance to the Goddess Chintpurni.

Activists of various organisations have occupied proposed sites for providing langar and comfortable resting arrangements for pilgrims on the route.

The district health officer Dr. M. L. Puri said cholera vaccines would be administered to the pilgrims to avoid the spread of water-borne diseases.