They have been admitted to Kapurthala civil hospital where doctors said they had sustained 25 per cent burns. Reena was more serious and referred to a Jalandhar hospital.
SEVEN WOMEN were injured, including two seriously, when a rival group threw acid at them following a dispute over land at Bahui village in Kapurthala district on Monday. Water guns (pichkaari) were used in the attack. Locals said they had never seen such an incident before.
Among the injured were Reena Sehgal, wife of the sarpanch, Jagir Kaur, Rajwant Kaur, Jasbir Kaur one and Jasbir Kaur second, Shanti Devi and Tara Rani. They have been admitted to Kapurthala civil hospital where doctors said they had sustained 25 per cent burns. Reena was more serious and referred to a Jalandhar hospital.
On Monday morning, when preparation for the construction of a community hall was on at the village by MNREGA workers, a family arrived and said that the hall cannot be built there as the land was in their possession. Later, more people gathered and both sides started quarrelling.
Villagers said one Rajwinder Kaur and her daughter Lovepreet Kaur arrived when the land was being cleaned in the presence of sarpanch Vinod Kumar Sehgal. Rajwinder told the sarpanch that they cannot carry out any construction work on that land and an altercation ensued. Later, Rajwinder’s husband Nirmal Singh, too, arrived with one person. Rajwinder called more women, who were carrying water guns filled with acid, said villagers. Reena also arrived and again, there was a heated exchange. Soon, Rajwinder and the women on her side sprayed acid on the sarpanch’s wife and several MNREGA workers. Earlier, too, the dispute had erupted over that plot several times, said villagers.
People gathered there started running for cover following the acid attack. Police were called. A case has been registered under sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 326(A) of IPC against Rajwinder, her husband Nirmal, daughter Lovepreet, her mother-in-law Rattan Kaur and some unidentified people, said Kapurthala SSP Rajinder Singh. Both Rajwinder and Lovepreet, too, have been hospitalised with acid burns. Nirmal has been arrested while others are absconding. The condition of the injured women was said to be stable in the evening.
