Bathinda: Two farmers were killed in a violent clash between two groups over an irrigation drain dispute at Kotbhai village in Muktsar district on Friday night.The deceased have been identified as Nirmal Singh and Baljit Singh. Three persons from the opposite group sustained injuries and have been admitted to hospital. Muktsar police have registered a murder case against seven persons.According to the police, the clash erupted while an irrigation drain was being relaid to water the fields of Nirmal Singh and Baljit Singh. The watercourse passed in front of several houses, including that of Rajwinder Singh, whose family objected to its alignment and allegedly filled the trench with soil. When the farmers attempted to clear the trench, an altercation broke out.The argument soon turned violent, with both sides allegedly using sharp-edged weapons. During the fight, Baljit Singh sustained serious injuries and collapsed. His licensed .32-bore pistol fell to the ground, which Nirmal Singh picked up and fired in self-defence, according to the police complaint.Rajwinder Singh, Jagsir Singh and Darshan Singh sustained injuries. Rajwinder’s brother Jabarjang Singh, his son Lovepreet Singh, Jabarjang’s son Harpreet Singh, and Gurpreet Singh, son of Darshan Singh, allegedly attacked Nirmal Singh with sharp-edged weapons, stated Rajpreet Singh, Baljit Singh’s son, in his complaint.Rajpreet said he and others tried to intervene to save Baljit and Nirmal Singh, but were also attacked.Both injured farmers were rushed to the Gidderbaha civil hospital, where they were declared dead.Gidderbaha DSP Arun Mundan said a case had been registered at Kotbhai police station against Rajwinder Singh, Jagsir Singh, Darshan Singh, Jabarjang Singh, Harpreet Singh, Lovepreet Singh and Gurpreet Singh. “Rajwinder, Jagsir and Darshan are admitted to hospital, while Jabarjang Singh, Harpreet Singh and Lovepreet Singh have been arrested,” he said.
