A policeman was killed and three others injured when a group of Nihang Sikhs opened fire at them.
In a gurdwara in Punjab’s Kapurthala. Officials said that the clashes took place over the ownership of the gurdwara. Police has arrested 10 people from the Nihang sect for allegedly encroaching the gurdwara, but the operation is still on. One of the Nihangs fired at the cops when they had gone to clear the premises.
The policemen were standing on the road when the Nihangs opened fire at them, Kapurthala Superintendent of Police (Headquarters) Tejbir Singh Hundal told PTI. Senior officials have rushed to the site and police personnel in large numbers have been deployed in the area.
Officials said that at least 30 Nihangs are still inside the gurdwara.
Nihang is an order of Sikh warriors that traces its origin to the creation of the Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699. They are distinguished by their blue robes, decorated turbans and are often seen carrying weapons like swords and spears. In 2020, Nihang protesters had chopped off the hand of a police officer in Patiala when he was trying to impose a Covid lockdown.