AMRITSAR — Panic gripped the border village of Bhagupur Chhanna on Saturday evening after an escalating dispute over an agricultural access road culminated in a fierce armed clash, leaving multiple people injured and causing extensive property damage.
According to local accounts, more than 50 rounds were fired during the prolonged crossfire between two opposing factions, sending villagers scurrying for cover and puncturing the quiet of the rural belt under the Lopoke police jurisdiction.
The violence reportedly erupted around 5:00 PM following an ongoing feud concerning access to a village passage adjacent to ancestral agricultural land. The incident quickly descended into an armed standoff involving rifles, resulting in bullet-riddled exterior walls, shattered masonry, and deflated tractor tires across the immediate vicinity.
Former village sarpanch Lakhwinder Singh alleged that an armed mob numbering between 40 and 50 individuals stormed his residence without provocation.
“We were at home when an armed group armed with .315 bore rifles launched an indiscriminate assault,” Lakhwinder Singh stated. “They fired over fifty rounds directly toward the compound. Women inside the house had to hide in interior rooms to escape the gunfire.”
Lakhwinder identified several men from the rival camp—including Subeg Singh, Lakha Singh, and several associates—alleging they led the attack. He added that his nephew, Ravinder Singh, sustained serious gunshot wounds and was rushed to the government hospital in Lopoke before doctors referred him to an Amritsar facility as his condition worsened.
The opposing faction, however, categorically rejected Lakhwinder’s version of events, presenting an entirely contradictory account.
Family members of Subeg Singh and Lakha Singh claimed the dispute flared when Lakhwinder’s side aggressively plowed through a long-standing dirt track that served as an essential transit route for their fields. They alleged that Lakhwinder’s supporters initiated the shooting by targeting their residence first, leaving three to four members of their own family injured in the confrontation.
A police contingent led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Jagbir Singh Aulakh arrived at the scene shortly after the distress call to de-escalate tensions and secure the village perimeter.
“Preliminary inquiries indicate that an exchange of fire took place from both sides following an argument over the passage,” DSP Aulakh said. “The situation was brought under control promptly upon the arrival of police personnel. Cross-complaints have been received, and an investigation is underway to verify the sequence of events, verify reported injuries, and recover the firearms involved. Strict legal action will follow against all perpetrators.”
Heavy police deployment remains stationed in Bhagupur Chhanna to prevent further flare-ups as forensics teams assess the ballistic evidence left behind.
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