Ludhiana: Truckers’ clash in Machhiwara leaves 1 dead, another hurt

A clash between two cousins turned deadly on the Sirhind road near the historical village of Jhad Sahib of Machhiwara late Monday night, leaving one of them dead. The other one has sustained critical injuries.
The victim has been identified as Rachhpal Singh of Ghumanpur village of Amritsar. His cousin Chamkaur Singh of Suthiala village of Beas has been arrested. The accused, with severe injuries, has been hospitalised.
According to deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Tarlochan Singh, the incident occurred around 12:50 am when the Machhiwara police station received a call about a bloody altercation near Jhad Sahib. He added that Rachhpal Singh and his cousin Chamkaur Singh were truck drivers travelling in opposite directions. Rachhpal was heading from Ludhiana to Baddi while Chamkaur Singh was returning from Baddi to Ludhiana.
The cousins, who had been embroiled in a dispute, confronted each other on the road and began attacking one another with sharp weapons. Chamkaur allegedly slashed Rachhpal’s neck with a sharp-edged weapon. Chamkaur Singh also sustained serious injuries during the clash.
The DSP added that when police arrived at the scene, they found Rachhpal Singh lying dead in a pool of blood while Chamkaur Singh was severely injured nearby. Rachhpal’s body was sent for a postmortem examination. His family has been alerted. The police have recovered a murder weapon from the spot.
Khanna senior superintendent of police (SSP) Ashwani Gotyal visited the spot on Tuesday morning. He praised the prompt action of the police, stating, “The police’s swift response ensured the case was resolved immediately.”
The Machhiwara police lodged an FIR against Chamkaur Singh on the complaint of Vishal Singh, son of the victim. Vishal stated in his complaint that his father had on November 18 informed him that he met Chamkaur Singh 10 days ago in Baddi and they consumed liquor. Chamkaur suspected that his wife had developed an illicit relationship with Jeet Singh, brother-in-law (wife’s brother) of his father. Chamkaur Singh indulged in a spat with his father but the latter apologised, Vishal claimed, adding that the murder was the result of the same issue.