On the intervening night of September 7 and September 8, a man was hacked to death by a group of four men, including two Nihang Sikhs, outside a hotel close to the Golden Temple following an argument over smoking.
The CCTV footage of the incident has gone viral on social media. The deceased has been identified as Harmanjit Singh of the Chatiwind area. As per the reports, an argument broke out between Harmanjit and four other men, including two Nihang Sikhs, over smoking. The argument turned violent, and the man was allegedly assaulted with a sharp-edged weapon by the Nihangs, which led to his death on the spot.
In the CCTV footage, the victim was seen sitting on a bike next to an e-rikshaw when Nihangs stopped him, and they got into an argument. Within a few minutes, the argument turned violent and went into a fistfight. However, the Nihangs overpowered Harmanjit and pushed them to the side of the road, where he was allegedly attacked with a sharp-edged weapon.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Mukhwinder Singh Bhullar said in a statement that the accused had been identified, and one of them was arrested by the Police.
In recent times, Nihangs have made headlines for several such incidents. In April 2020, Nihangs allegedly chopped the hand of a Police officer after he stopped them. Three other Police officers were also injured.
In October 2021, Nihangs allegedly killed and mutilated a labourer for the alleged sacrilege of Sarbloh Sahib at a farmer protests site at the Kundali border, Delhi.