Jalandhar, September 26
In a broad daylight incident of firing, an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) and at least four other persons were wounded in a clash between two groups led by Congress councillor Dinesh Dhal Kali and the president of Hind Kranti Dal Manoj Nanha at Gopal Nagar here on Saturday afternoon. The clash between the two groups occurred reportedly due to some rivalry.

The injured ASI Avtar Singh, Kali’s two cousins Amit Dhal and Anil Dhal Bobby, Jaswinder and Sonu have been admitted to different private hospitals.

The ASI got a bullet injury in his stomach when the police reached the spot after getting information about the clash.

Both the groups blamed each other for the clash. When contacted, Nanha told The Tribune that the members of Kali group came in two vehicles at his flower shop at Gopal Nagar with a motive to attack him. At that time, he was not at his shop. When the people came to know about their motive, they pelted stones and bottles at their vehicles in an attempt to force them to flee.

Nanha further alleged the members of Kali group started firing in which some persons were injured.

On the other hand, Kali denied these allegations that his men had gone to Gopal Nagar to attack Nanha. He said they had gone to Gopal Nagar at a newly opened flower shop of Kashyap Rajput. When they reached there, the members of Nanha groups started firing at them. Kali alleged that his men had been attacked at the behest of a Punjab minister.

Meanwhile, no FIR was registered till the filing of this news-item. When contacted, SP (City I) G.S. Toor said the injured persons were being treated. The FIR would be registered after recording the statements of the injured.

In reply to a question, he said it would be clear only after investigation how many shots were fired. It would also be a part of the investigation whether both the groups or only one group was involved in firing. No culprit would be spared, he added.

Nawanshahr, September 26
The police has busted an inter-district gang here, which had been committing robberies during marriage ceremonies at marriage palaces, by arresting a mother-son duo, Kamala Rani and Pankaj Gandhi of Ludhiana, at a police naka on the Rahon-Machhiwara bridge.

Giving details, SSP Rakesh Aggarwal, in a press note issued here yesterday, said the police on the basis of a complaint lodged by Onkar of Banga had registered a case under sections 392 and 34 of the IPC and sections 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act.

In his complaint, Onkar had stated that during the marriage ceremony of his sister at Midland Marriage Palace, Mukandpur, a youth accompanied by a woman 
entered the palace and robbed his mother at pistol point and fled in a car.

The Rahon police put up a naka at the Rahon-Machhiwara bridge and when the police intercepted a car it recovered 100 gm of smack from the youth and gold ornaments, wrist watches, $10 and Rs 500 from the purse of the woman travelling in the car. They were identified as Pankaj Gandhi and Kamala Rani of Ludhiana.

They admitted that their gang had six members, including two children, and the gang had committed robberies at various marriage palaces in different districts in the state, said the SSP.

Tarn Taran, September 26
Santsain (45) a resident of township Naushehra Pannua, 14 km from here, was seriously injured by one Jatinder Singh, resident of the nearby Chaudhrywala village, succumbed to his injures late last night at the Guru Nanak Dev Hospital, Amritsar.

The Sarhali police have registered a case under section 304 of the IPC against the accused.

According to information, the deceased, with his friend Sanjay, purchased wine from the wine shop when the accused came to the spot and snatched the wine bottle from them, which led to a verbal duel between both the parties.

Accused Jatinder attacked them with sharp edged weapons, injuring Santsain who was admitted at the Guru Nanak Dev Hospital, Amritsar, where he succumbed to his injuries last night.