A Canadian permanent resident card holder Pardeep Singh Nihang was killed in a brawl over loud music on Tuesday at Anandpur Sahib where he had gone to participate in the annual ‘Hola Mohala’ celebrations.
According to local journalist Satish Jagota, Pardeep objected to a group of youths travelling on a tractor trolley with high decibel music played by a DJ fixed on the tractor. Accompanied by some like-minded baptised Sikh youths, Pardeep was stopping such vehicles and motorbikes as these songs “were not appropriate in the vicinity of a historical Gurudwara.”
Niranjan Singh and those riding in the tractor trolley alighted and confronted Pardeep and a fight broke out. Pardeep was hit by a sharp-edged weapon (Kirch). Niranjan, too, was grievously injured by a customised lathi traditionally carried by Nihang Singhs.
An injured Pardeep was rushed to a hospital by the police where he was declared brought dead. Niranjan, who received a head injury inflicted by Pardeep Singh was referred to the PGI Chandigarh.
SSP Vivek Soni told media persons that a tattoo artist Pardeep Singh settled in Canada for the last over 5 years and was a permanent resident of that country. He hailed from a village in the Gurdaspur district, while Niranjan Singh was a resident of a village in Nurpur Bedi tehsil of the Ropar district. Pardeep had come to India in February first time after getting his Canadian PR.
Last night at 10:30 we got the incident information that Pradeep Singh has died. He was dressed like Nihang Sikh at the time of the incident. FIR has been registered & Accused has been traced, according to the family deceased Pradeep Singh was learning tattooing: SSP Vivek Soni pic.twitter.com/4Db6lViIt5
— Nikhil Choudhary (@NikhilCh_) March 7, 2023
SSP said an FIR has been registered for the murder of Pardeep Singh against Niranjan Singh and some other unidentified youths.