HANUMANGARH, Oct 4:— At least 10 people, including minors, were injured in a violent clash between rival groups over control of Mehtabgarh Gurdwara in Goluwala on Friday, police said. The assailants allegedly threw out devotees present in the gurdwara and attacked them with sharp weapons and country-made pistols.
Bibi Harmeet Kaur, 30, a resident of Chak 24JRK village and the gurdwara’s chief sewadar, claimed that the dispute over the gurdwara’s management had been resolved in her favour by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee. “A few people barged in by scaling the boundary wall and attacked devotees who were sleeping there,” she said. She added that the assailants also snatched mobile phones and took ₹1.70 lakh from the gurdwara.
The administration described the situation as tense but under control. As a precaution, schools were closed and Internet services suspended. Cops from 15 police stations and two units of the Rajasthan Armed Constabulary were deployed to the area.
The Goluwala police have registered a case under multiple sections of the BNS, including 331(6), 307, 191(2), 191(3), 190, 127(2), 115(2), 223(B) and 161. Those named in the FIR include Pradeep Sihag, Akashdeep Singh, Hardeep Singh, Harsh Bhullar, Surinder Singh Chhinda, Amritpal Singh, Kuldeep Singh, Lakhwinder Singh, Jashandeep Singh, Dilbagh Singh, Vijay Singh Poonia, Sukhwinder Singh Buttar, Pritam Singh Mali, Jagatpal Niwad (all residents of Goluwala), and Gursaheb Singh Happy of Chunawadh, Sriganganagar.
Police said investigations are ongoing and security measures remain in place to prevent further clashes.
