Ludhiana: Free for all at civil hospital emergency as two groups clash

It was high drama at the civil hospital late on Monday night as two groups faced off and attacked each other, officials aware of matter said.

They added the groups had come to the ward to get their medical examinations done after an earlier brawl among themselves. According to the officials, at least 10 cops reached the spot to control the situation.

The development comes amid a push by the staff for better security measures at the facility. The staff have been alleging that the police personnel deployed at the ward is ‘rarely seen’ and they are left to fend for themselves. The police have already refuted all the allegations.

Officials said the clash on Monday stemmed from a ‘long-standing’ dispute between the two groups over a wedding.

After the clash, a case was registered at the Division Number 2 police station. Station-house officer (SHO) Gurjeet Singh said the police were investigating the matter.

Civil surgeon Dr Pradeep Mohindra said, “I will look into the case. In the coming days, I will take the requisite steps to address the issue of violence in hospital premises.

Senior medical officer (SMO) Dr Deepika Goyal did not respond to repeated calls and messages.

Talking to mediapersons, Omprakash from city’s Amarpura area, who was among those who clashed, said the conflict goes back to three years when a boy who lives close to their home had approached him for marrying his 22-year-old daughter. He alleged that problems started when the boy’s family stepped back from their commitment around a year ago and the problems.

Omprakash claimed that Tuesday evening, the same boy came to their home and started yelling. As they resisted, he attacked them with a sharp-edged weapon, injuring Omprakash and his son, Sandeep.

However, the other group has been claiming that Omprakash and his family attacked their home, injuring four of them, including two women.