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Roughly a month before farm protests at Singhu border complete a year, a man was brutally lynched and strung up at the protest site on Friday morning, with a group of Nihang Sikhs, who are part of the protesters, claiming responsibility for the killing in a video.
Videos and photos captured the incident — the man was tied to an overturned police barricade, his wrist was chopped off and his ankle and leg broken. According to police, a preliminary probe suggests Nihang Sikhs, a warrior group, allegedly killed him on suspicion of disrespecting the Sikh holy book.
The victim was identified as 35-year-old Lakhbir Singh, a resident of Cheema Kalan village in Punjab’s Tarn Taran district. The village sarpanch, Avan Kumar, and the local DSP, Sucha Singh, confirmed his identity.
At the Singhu border protest site.
Police said they received information around 5 am that a man was found tied to a barricade near the protest site, following which a team from Kundli police station rushed to the spot.
Superintendent of Police, Sonepat, Jashandeep Singh Randhawa said: “The injured person was rushed to the civil hospital, where he was declared dead. We have registered a case of murder against unknown persons. There are several videos circulating where some Nihang Sikhs have claimed that the man disrespected the holy book. It is suspected he was beaten up and killed by some Nihang Sikhs. This is a matter of investigation.”
In a video, the injured man can be purportedly seen lying in a pool of blood, with one arm tied to a rope and his chopped off left hand next to his face, as several men stand over and question him.
In another video, a man claims that around 3 am, the victim was spotted near the gurdwara sahib at the protest site by a volunteer. He can purportedly be heard saying: “The unidentified man was trying to pick up the Guru Granth Sahib. A volunteer spotted him. We got hold of him and asked him who had sent him. We broke his leg and chopped off his hand. He has been tied here now. Whoever has sent him can come here now. We will kill him. He has disrespected the holy book. Police can conduct their own investigation.”
The victim can be seen tied up next to him.
According to locals and the village sarpanch, Singh lived with his sister. His parents are no more.
They said they last saw him in the village on Tuesday. DSP Sucha Singh said, “He was the only person from the village to go to Singhu.”
Avan Kumar, the village sarpanch, said his father was an ex-serviceman, while Lakhbir would often take up jobs as a labourer.
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