A long-running land dispute in Chatar Nagar village, Patiala escalated tragically last week, resulting in 3 deaths. According to police reports, Dilbagh Singh (67) and his son Jaswinder (40) from a neighboring village had come to take possession of a piece of agricultural land that was leased to another party. On the land was Satvinder Singh (48) along with two others who had allegedly been given rights to the plot by the factory owning it.
Witnesses say a heated argument broke out between the two sides over ownership of the land. Things quickly turned violent as Dilbagh and Jaswinder, who were armed, allegedly opened fire on the others. Satvinder was fatally shot on the spot. In the melee that followed, the second group managed to wrestle a weapon away and shot Dilbagh dead. Jaswinder met a grisly end after being bludgeoned with a hoe by one of the men.
Police were alerted and a team led by SHO Aman Pal Virk arrived at the scene. The injured were rushed to hospital. Senior officers including Patiala DIG HS Bhullar and SSP Varun Sharma visited to take stock of the situation. According to police, a long-standing dispute over the farming rights to the plot appeared to be the trigger for the incident. However, a full investigation is underway to establish exact sequence of events and bringclosure to the families.
The fatal clash has sent shockwaves through the community and underscores the volatile nature land disputes can take if not resolved amicably. Police have appealed for calm as investigations continue.
