PEHOWA (KURUKSHETRA): A 29-year-old man injured in an alleged attack following a road rage dispute in the main market of Pehowa on September 14 died at a private hospital in Kurukshetra on Saturday.The deceased, identified as Gurpreet Singh, a resident of Sialkot Farm in Pehowa, was undergoing treatment at the hospital after being referred from LNJP Civil Hospital, Kurukshetra, to Chandigarh due to the severity of his injuries.He was later shifted to a private hospital in Kurukshetra, where he succumbed to his injuries on Saturday morning.Police conducted a post-mortem through a panel of doctors and handed over the body to the family.However, the family later placed Gurpreet’s body on a stretcher in the middle of Pehowa’s main chowk and blocked the road, demanding the immediate arrest of the accused. DSP Pehowa Randhir Singh reached the spot and tried to pacify the protesters.Gurpreet, who worked as a PVC installer, had married in 2018 and is survived by his wife and a son.According to a complaint by his cousin Gagandeep Singh, he was travelling in a car with his friend Abhishek to Pehowa market to purchase household items when Gurpreet joined them at Pehowa Chowk.A white Fortuner car (HR41BB 8792) allegedly came in front of their vehicle and its occupants began abusing them.Gagandeep alleged that after the vehicles moved ahead, the Fortuner occupants stopped their vehicle and blocked their way.When he stopped and questioned them, an accused Karan Pandit allegedly got out of the Fortuner carrying a sword and attacked Gurpreet. Another accused allegedly struck Gagandeep on the head with a stick.The complaint further alleges that Karan Pandit then attacked Gurpreet several times on the head with the sword, while another accused assaulted him with a stick.Gurpreet suffered serious head injuries and was bleeding heavily. Abhishek allegedly fled the spot to save himself.Gagandeep was treated at LNJP Civil Hospital in Kurukshetra, while Gurpreet was referred for further treatment due to his critical condition.Pehowa City SHO Sunil Vats said no previous enmity between the accused and Gurpreet had emerged during the investigation. He said the dispute appeared to have started over passage on the road and a minor issue.Police had registered a case against Karan Pandit and another person on September 15, a day after the incident.Following Gurpreet’s death, Section 103 (punishment for murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), pertaining to murder, has now been added to the case.The SHO said the accused would be arrested soon.The aggrieved family members did not lift the protest and it has been about three hours since they are protesting at Pehowa chowk by putting the body on a stretcher.The police assured the family that CIA teams are making efforts to trace the accused people and they would be arrested soon, however, the protestors are demanding immediate arrests.
