Punjab violence: Mob attacks Kapurthala DC; escapes narrowly

KAPURTHALA: The Deputy Commissioner of Kapurthala had a narrow escape when his convoy was attacked by an irate mob near Bidhipur railway crossing on the Jalandhar- Katarpur road early on Monday, during which three of his security guards sustained injuries.

The car of the DC, Raj Kamal Chaudhary, and a pilot Gypsy, which were damaged by the mob, were also set ablaze. The incident follows the violence in the aftermath of the death of the Dera chief in Vienna.

The injured are identified as Sukhwinder Singh, Karnail Singh and Harbans Singh, all head constables, have been admitted in a local civil hospital. Their condition is stated to be out of danger.

Following the death of the Dera chief and its fallout in the state, the administration imposed an indefinite curfew in Phagwara sub-division. Army has also been called out in and started patrolling on the streets.

When contacted, Chaudhary who is camping in Phagwara to control the situation, said he along with five security guards had left for Phagwara following reports of violence at about 8 pm on Sunday night and when he could not reach the town due to blockades by protesters, they decided to return to Kapurthala.

On their way back to Kapurthala via Kartarpur at about 2 am in the morning, the mob waylaid them and started pelting stones resulting in injures to the three guards sitting in the open escort Gypsy.