A police constable died, and five others were injured after a member of Nihang Sikh in Punjab’s Kapurthala district opened fire at them.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Thursday when policemen asked members of the Baba Mann Singh Nihang Sikh to leave the Gurdwara Akal Bunga Sahib in the Sultanpur Lodhi area.
Police registered a complaint and arrested 10 Nihang members from the Baba Mann Singh faction.
Meanwhile, the Gurdwara is now barricaded, and police personnel have been deployed.
Nihangs are known for their unique and conventional martial traditions within the Sikh faith. Members of this Sikh sect live on the fringes of society.
According to media reports, there have been ongoing disputes between two groups of Nihang Sikhs regarding their claim over the Bunga Sahib Gurdwara. On Tuesday, the Baba Mann Singh faction reportedly attacked two Nihangs of the other faction led by Sant Balbir Singh of Baba Budha Dal.
The quarrel and threatening between the group continued on Wednesday. Both the groups also clashed in 2020 in which a Nihang member was killed.
On Thursday morning, when police reached the Gurdwara, they locked it from inside and were allegedly heavily armed and attacked the police personnel.
After this, police used tear gas shells to control the situation. Officials said there were at least 30 Nihangs inside the gurdwara at the time of the violence.