One dead and four injured in group clash over possession of farmland in Kaithal

A 24-year-old was killed and four others injured in a clash between two groups at Deeg village in Kaithal district.

Police said the deceased was identified as Ankit Kumar from Pabnawa village. The injured were hospitalized. The late Ankit worked at the liquor store of a certain Jagdev Singh and was found injured on the road near the liquor store on Friday evening.

The clash took place over possession of a 1.5 acre piece of land as members of both groups claimed possession. Dhanpat Singh, one of the injured, alleged that Jagdev and others attacked them while they were in the fields. They were injured and taken to hospital.

The injured were identified as Dhanpat, Hoshiar, Hirke Ram, Rajiv and Silo Devi.

On the other hand, relatives of the deceased claimed that he was attacked by members of the rival group and that he succumbed to his injuries in hospital.

Ankit’s uncle, Rajbir Singh, said his nephew was working with a contractor for Jagdev. They had received a call that Ankit had been injured and later he was pronounced dead. “We don’t know what happened to him but some people told us there was a clash and some people were injured,” he added.

Shiv Kumar, head of Pundri police station, said police got information about the clash at Deeg village and a team went there. They found Ankit badly injured on the side of the road. He was taken to hospital but was pronounced dead by doctors.

Police said at a preliminary investigation that it was discovered that Jagdev’s family had a clash with a rival group of Dhanpat and others over possession of said farmland.

The police registered two FIRs on the counter-complaints of the two groups. Six people have been charged with murder and 50 others with attempted murder and other sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). An investigation is ongoing, police said.