The victim at his house in Sector 7, Panchkula, on Tuesday. (Express Photo by Jaipal Singh)
A 76-YEAR-OLD Wing Commander has suffered severe head injuries when he was assaulted outside his house in Panchkula’s Sector 7 over feeding street dogs at the market of Sector 7. The victim, Jagjeet Singh, who resides along with his wife Shakuntla Devi, is receiving treatment from the Command Hospital, Chandimandir. Police have registered an FIR against a local shopkeeper of Sector 7, Sundar, 50, who claimed in his statement to the police that he too suffered injuries in the assault. The police said Sundar would be arrested when he got medically fit. The police also obtained a medical-legal report of Sundar from Civil Hospital, Sector 6. The incident happened around 10.45 am on Sunday.
Wing Commander Jagjeet Singh (Retd) said that an FIR was registered after the intervention of Panchkula Police Commissioner Charu Bali, whom he met along with some eyewitnesses on Monday. The former Air Force officer said, “I have been feeding street dogs at the market of Sector 7 for so many years, it’s a daily ritual for me. Some of the shopkeepers, including Sundar, were annoyed with me on this issue. They claim that these street dogs create problems for them. But I was not alone to feed the street dogs. Like me, there are a few other people as well who feed these dogs. On Saturday, Sundar, who along with his son Pawan, who runs a cloth stall at the booth market of Sector 7, started abusing me. Probably, he was drunk. I slapped him. The next day, when I was returning after feeding the street dogs, Sunder tried to run over me under the wheels of his car but I managed to save myself.”
Singh said, “I narrated this incident to my wife who advised me to stay inside the house. For my protection, I picked up a hockey stick. After some time, Sundar came and rang the doorbell of my house. As I came in the veranda to open the gate, someone hit me with the stick on my head. Before I could control myself, Sundar snatched my hockey stick and hit me four times on my head.”
Shakuntla Devi said, “When I came outside the house, my husband was profusely bleeding from head. Our two neighbours, including a woman, rushed my husband to Command Hospital, Chandimandir, where my husband was given over a dozen stitches. Sundar, who is also residing at a rented accommodation in Sector 7, escaped in his car before my eyes.”
The probe officer, S-I Rajinder Singh, said, “We registered an FIR against Sundar on the complaint of retired air force officer Jagjeet Singh. Sundar also suffered injuries and he stated in his statement to police that Jagjeet Singh attacked him with a hockey stick when he went to his house in Sector 7 on Sunday. Sundar claimed that he took away the hockey stick from Jagjeet and hit him back. We received an MLR of Sundar from Civil Hospital, Sector 6. We registered a case against Sundar on the complaint of Wing Commander Jagjeet Singh (Retd). Feeding the street dogs appears to be a reason behind this attack.”
A case under charges of assault, grievous injuries with hurt and criminal intimidation was registered at the Sector 5 police station.