3 engg students hurt in Kharar clash

While Gurjant Singh of Mandi,Gobindgarh in Fatehgarh Sahib was struggling for life with dagger injuries on the abdomen at the GMCH-32,Chandigarh,his two classmates Karanbeer Singh and Deepinder Singh were discharged after first-aid,the Investigating Officer (IO) Harbhajan Singh told Newsline. All the students are in their early 20s. The assailants,who were reportedly from another private professional college near Mohali,attacked their rival students when the latter were drinking juice at the college grounds around 12.30 pm.

The brazen use of deadly weapons,including swords,daggers,iron rods and batons,not only raised questions over the security arrangements at the college campus but also created terror on the premises with most of the students,including young girls and boys,running for cover.

Karanbeer,who along with Deepinder,stays at a rented accommodation in Sector 51-D,Chandigarh,told the police that as they were basking in the sun and drinking juice,two fresher college girls passed by. One of them,whom he identified as Amrit Kaur,accused them of eveteasing.

“When we tried to reason with her that she must have mistaken as we did not make any indecent gesture at them,she called up some of her friends,who swooped on us and without saying anything,straightaway attacked us with weapons,leaving us badly injured,” he claimed.

After beating the victims mercilessly without anybody coming to their rescue,the assailants fled the spot even as the injured students laid in a pool of blood. Later,some of their friends rushed them to GMCH-32,where Gurjant was admitted for treatment as he had sustained serious dagger injuries on the left side of his abdomen besides other multiple injuries while Karanbeer and Deepinder were discharged after first-aid,the IO disclosed.

Preliminary investigations revealed that both the rival groups of students were nursing some old grudge,following which the “eve teasing” issue was self-created to launch an attack. The police have booked the assailants,one of whom has been identified as Simrat Hundal of nearby Chapparchiri village,and his 10-12 unknown accomplices,on charges voluntarily causing hurt,criminal intimidation and rioting. However,no arrests have been made yet. “We are on the lookout of the accused but they are still on the run,” the IO claimed.