Four more people were arrested for allegedly attacking police officers in Punjab and chopping off an official’s hand after they were stopped for defying lockdown due to Covid-19, The Times of India reported on Monday. The accused, who had donned the robes of “Nihangs”, were arrested in Patiala after an hours-long standoff. With this, a total of 11 people have been arrested so far.

A group of five people, purportedly belonging to the Sikh community, had attacked police officials after they crashed their pickup truck into a series of roadblocks. The incident occurred after the police had sought curfew passes from the group. An assistant sub inspector’s hand was chopped off with a sword. Director General of Police Dinkar Gupta said that Balwinder Singh, identified as the head of the dera, was the main perpetrator in the incident.

Following the attack, the group fled from the spot and took shelter in their dera. Singh and his followers refused to surrender their weapons and set up morchas in the premises, and threatened to set off explosions with LPG cylinders. However, the accused gave up after being persuaded by the village head. One of the accused was injured and taken to the hospital.

“After a two-hour stand-off, a team of mediators headed by the local sarpanch, entered the gurdwara,” Punjab Director General of Police Dinkar Gupta said. “After another half an hour, the perpetrators surrendered. They came out carrying swords and knives. The police also recovered gas cylinders which could have been used as explosives.”

Several weapons, including two petrol bombs, were recovered from the accused. Five bags of poppy husk, which is used for opium extraction, mixed with “sulpha”, and other vast amounts of drugs were also seized. The police also seized Rs 39 lakh in cash apart from bottles with chemical substances, according to The Hindu.

Two separate cases have been registered against the accused. The five attackers have been booked for the assault in the vegetable market, and eleven people were charged for attacking the police during the stand-off. Another case under the Narcotics, Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act has been registered.

Meanwhile, the policeman whose hand was chopped off was taken to Rajindra Hospital, from where he was moved to the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, or PGIMER, in Chandigarh. Later, officials told PTI that the surgery to reattach the policeman’s hand was successful.

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Covid-19 lockdown: 7 arrested in Punjab for allegedly chopping off officer’s hand, attacking police