Kumar Rajiv Nayan
Ara : Some hoodlums thrashed Sikh pilgrims near Dhyani Tola on Ara-Sasaram State Highway under Charpokhari police station (PS) in Bhojpur District in South Bihar on January 16, 2022, afternoon, when they were returning to Punjab on a truck after attending the ‘Prakash Parv’ of Guru Govind Singh Ji at Patna City.
At least half a dozen Sikh pilgrims were injured and were admitted to the Primary Health Centre, Charpokhari. The incident took place after the pilgrims protested forcible ‘chanda’ ( donation) collection. Police picked up the president of ‘Yajna’ going on in the area for quizzing. Police are also investigating the matter.
The injured were identified as Birendra Singh, son of Amrik Singh; Manpreet Singh, son of Harnek Singh of Chandigarh; Harpreet Singh, son of Raj Singh; Harpreet Singh son of Kamaljeet Singh; Balbir Singh, son of Hazara Singh; Jasveer Singh, son of Gyan Singh; Tazinder Singh, truck driver and son of Sardar Mewa Singh of Mohali.
Piro, SDPO Rahul Singh, said that some Sikh pilgrims had come to Patna City in Bihar to attend the ‘Prakash Parv’ of Guru Govind Singh and after conclusion of the Prakash Parv, they were returning to Punjab in a truck by road. At least 40 male and 20 female pilgrims were on the truck. When they reached near Dhyani Tola under Charpokhari PS on Ara-Sasaram State Highway, some hoodlums intercepted the truck and demanded ‘chanda’ from the truck driver Tazimder Singh for religious rituals going on in the area. When the driver refused, the hoodlums thrashed the driver and also those who came to his rescue .