Stone-pelters attack shops, houses as spat turns ugly

Ludhiana: A few hours after a verbal spat with a shopkeeper on Monday night, a group of miscreants created a ruckus in Islam Ganj area under division number 2 police by throwing stones at houses and vandalising shops in the early hours on Tuesday.
Division number 2 police lodged an FIR against at least 10 people, some of whom were identified as Harbhajan Singh Mithu, Khushwant Singh, Goru, Sagar of Jassian Road. The case was registered on the complaint of Sarabjit Singh.
The complainant alleged that on Monday night, he heard some noises and went out to see what was the matter. He noticed a group of men hurling abuses and removing covers of manholes. As he objected to it, the accused started abusing him and throwing stones at houses. The accused also vandalised at least three shops and broke the glass doors.
Paramjit Singh, a shopkeeper, alleged that some men used to visit the locality to consume drugs. He had asked the accused to leave from there which offended them. Some residents and shopkeepers have also recorded videos of the incident.
ASI Pardeep Singh, investigating officer from division number 2 police station, said police have lodged an FIR against the accused under Sections 160 (committing affray), 427 (Mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) and 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The accused are yet to be arrested, the police official said.