A Nihang was arrested on Sunday for allegedly stabbing a relative to death and injuring four others using his kirpan in Suraj Nagar, Tedi Road, Shimlapuri, officials said.
They added that Nirmal Singh, 50, was killed in the attack that stemmed from an old rivalry.
According to the police, the accused, Jatinder Singh of Sangowal, escaped after the incident but was later apprehended. The victim was a carpenter, police said.
According to police, the condition of one of the victims, Manjit Singh, has been stated as serious and the three others, Vijay, Vishwajit and Balraj Singh, are stable.
Police said Nirmal Singh and the other victims were trying to intervene after the accused assaulted his brother, Manjit Singh, with the kirpan.
Shimlapuri station-house officer (SHO) inspector Balwinder Singh said that the accused and victim are relatives and lived in the same neighbourhood. They used to accuse each other of ‘abusing and urinating on their main gates’, the SHO added.
He said the accused and the victim had a scuffle over some issue in 2023, following which Nirmal Singh and Manjit Singh lodged a complaint, and a first-information report (FIR) was registered against Jatinder Singh.
Later, Jatinder and his family sold the house and moved to Sangowal village. Around six months ago, Jatinder became a Nihang, police said, and added the accused used to visit Suraj Nagar to see other relatives in the area.
The SHO added that on Sunday, Jatinder turned up in Suraj Nagar and assaulted Manjit. The other victims tried to intervene, following which the accused assaulted them as well, he added.
He said Manjit and Nirmal suffered severe injuries and were rushed to a hospital, where the doctors declared the latter dead on arrival.
According to the inspector, a murder case has been registered against the accused. The police are questioning the accused to know what instigated him to assault the victims, he added.