A shocking incident of public violence unfolded in the heart of Ludhiana on Wednesday afternoon, as a group of armed men launched a brazen attack on a man right outside the local court complex. The assault, carried out with swords in full public view, marks a dangerous escalation in an ongoing criminal feud and has raised serious questions about police preparedness.
From Home Attack to Court Ambush: A Timeline of Violence
The target of the attack was identified as Gurwinder Singh, popularly known as 'Kannu'. This was not an isolated incident. Just two days prior, on Monday midnight, a group had allegedly pelted Kannu's family home in Joshi Nagar with bricks and glass bottles while his mother was inside. Following that incident, the Haibowal police had registered a case against 15 individuals, including primary suspect Raja Giri alias 'Chotu', under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for rioting and criminal intimidation.
However, no arrests were made in the subsequent 48 hours. On Wednesday, shortly after Kannu attended a legal hearing at the court, the assailants struck again. Witnesses described a scene of chaos as the group intercepted him. "He tried to run toward his car to escape, but they nabbed him and continued the assault," an onlooker reported. The attackers not only slashed Kannu but also disabled his vehicle by hacking all four tyres with their swords.
A Feud Between Former Associates
The violence appears rooted in a bitter fallout between former associates. Kannu is the son of the late, notorious liquor smuggler "Lucky Tidh" and himself has a significant criminal record, with multiple FIRs for offences including liquor smuggling and car snatching. In a stark irony, the main suspect in Wednesday's attack, Raja Giri 'Chotu', was previously booked as an accomplice of Kannu in a 2022 attempted murder case related to a raid on a liquor outlet.
In a bizarre twist following the court attack, both the assailants and the victim, Kannu, vanished from the scene before police could secure it. Ludhiana police confirmed that Kannu was untraceable. "We have checked all nearby hospitals, but he is not admitted anywhere," a senior official stated, suggesting the victim might be avoiding police to circumvent lodging a formal complaint. Authorities have vowed to register a case on their own merit.
Police Face Scrutiny for Delayed Action
The mother of the victim, Balwinder Kaur, has launched a scathing attack on the police, holding their inaction responsible for the daylight assault. She argued that had the police made arrests after the Monday night attack on her home, the perpetrators would not have dared to strike again so boldly. "If the police had raided their houses or made arrests after they attacked my home, they wouldn't have dared to strike again in broad daylight," she said.
In response to the growing criticism, ADCP-III Kanwalpreet Singh provided an update, stating, "The cops have apprehended two of the accused, who assaulted Kannu. A case is being registered based on the police statements against all the accused." The incident underscores the challenges of controlling gang-related violence and the public safety concerns outside crucial judicial infrastructure.
