Woman SHO manhandled in Amritsar as Nihang factions clash at sit-in

A woman police officer was manhandled in Amritsar on Friday night as she tried to rescue a Nihang Sikh who was being assaulted by members of a rival group during a sit-in protest on Jhabal Road.

Manjit Kaur, the Station House Officer of Gate Hakima police station, reached the spot with a team after receiving information about the assault. When she attempted to pull the man to safety, a scuffle broke out between the protesters and the police party. Some of those present grabbed her by the collar and pushed her around.

She persisted, and the police eventually took the injured Nihang Sikh into their vehicle and brought him to the police station.

The trouble began when a Nihang Sikh arrived on a motorcycle at the site of the blockade and sit-in. The protesters stopped him and began beating him, alleging that he had been sent by an opposing group to conduct reconnaissance.

The protest itself stemmed from a rivalry between two factions. The protesting Nihangs claimed they had earlier been attacked and fired upon, which prompted them to stage the sit-in on Jhabal Road. They alleged that the man on the motorcycle had been sent by Major Singh Bhindwad, the leader of the rival group, to spy on them, and accused the police of siding with the opposing party.

SHO Manjit Kaur said the dispute had originated over the passage of some vehicles along the road. The protesting Nihangs claimed those vehicles belonged to Major Singh. Police said the two sides have been locked in a long-standing dispute. Personnel on duty said the protesters also used abusive language as the vehicles went past.

The protest disrupted traffic on Jhabal Road, with vehicles diverted through alternative routes.

The incident came a day after Assistant Sub-Inspector Harjit Singh was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Amritsar late Thursday night while he was returning home after duty.