Ahmedabad Times

The difficulty stems from an altercation in Chamoli’s Karnaprayag on June 16, when a gaggle of Nihang Sikh pilgrims had been accused of attacking residents with swords. An FIR was registered, and 4 had been later arrested and despatched to judicial custody. In line with Chamoli police, a verbal scuffle reportedly broke out between some Nihang pilgrims coming back from the Hemkund Sahib Yatra and native merchants. The dispute escalated when 4 Nihang pilgrims allegedly attacked a neighborhood dealer and different residents who intervened, utilizing weapons. 4 individuals had been injured within the incident.

The FIR

The grievance, lodged by a neighborhood resident, mentioned that at round 9 am on June 16, native businessman Prakash Rawat was crossing the street in entrance of his resort when a motorbike, carrying two males, was allegedly coming from the improper facet of the street and struck him. As per the FIR, “Following the collision, Rawat mentioned, ‘Brother, please drive slowly.’ Listening to this, the 2 Sikh males (who had been on the motorbike), together with one other motorbike carrying two extra Sikh males, started arguing with Rawat and abusing him.”

The complainant, together with not less than seven different males, then confronted the 4 males. “The 4 Sikh males allegedly drew swords and struck all the lads… The accused, whereas brandishing their swords and issuing threats, tried to flee from the spot,” the grievance alleged. One of many Sikh males additionally sustained accidents throughout the incident.

Occupation of the gurdwara

The 4 had been then arrested, and after they had been despatched to judicial custody, on June 20, a gaggle of seven Nihang Sikhs allegedly stormed right into a gurdwara in Rudraprayag and occupied the rooftop, refusing to return down and shutting the door behind them.

In line with police, round 3.40 pm on the day, the sewadars of the Nagarasu Gurdwara in Rudraprayag and a gaggle of Nihang Sikhs had a scuffle, after which the group went on to occupy the rooftop. Allegations had additionally surfaced that the group took the supervisor of the gurdwara committee hostage. Nonetheless, police denied this. The managing committee mentioned that the group hurled abuses at them, and a person was injured throughout the altercation.

They allegedly vandalised the rooftop and pelted stones. The managing committee had additionally claimed that they sought assist for the demand looking for the discharge of the 4 males arrested in Chamoli.

It took a number of teams, together with a delegation from Punjab and Paonta Sahib in Himachal Pradesh, to carry the group down on Tuesday. The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Administration Committee additionally met with Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhamiseeking an investigation into the Karnaprayag incident. The delegation had claimed that the motion in opposition to them was one-sided and had stoked resentment among the many Sikh neighborhood.

CM Dhami mentioned that the matter had been assigned to Haridwar SSP Navneet Singh Bhullar for “equity and impartiality”, and that the probe could be accomplished in 15 days.

March to Uttarakhand

Whereas the group that occupied the gurdwara left the state after the top of that standoff, a Nihang jatha that left Gurdwara Singh Shaheedan in Mohali for the Uttarakhand capital arrived at Paonta Sahib Gurdwara on the Uttarakhand-Himachal border on Thursday night. As they reached the border, the Uttarakhand Police intercepted and stopped them, utilizing barricades. The group stormed the barricades, looking for entry into the state whilst police struggled to rein them in.

Excessive pressure prevailed by means of the night time and subsided solely after the administration held talks with the group, urging them to return to Himachal Pradesh. The group insisted they’d not return till the 4 Nihang members arrested within the Karnprayag incident had been launched. Nonetheless, following assurances, they returned to Himachal Pradesh early Friday morning.

In the meantime, Haridwar SSP Navneet Singh Bhullar arrived within the space to fulfill with religion leaders. Talking with the media on Friday from Paonta Sahib in Sirmour, he mentioned, “The ADM, Dehradun, has acquired a memorandum from the group. Police and administration officers sat with senior Nihangs and had a dialogue, and I’ve assured them that there will likely be a good probe.”

He mentioned an SIT was fashioned in Haridwar. “Allegations of assault in opposition to police have surfaced, and they’re being investigated. The administration and I stay in touch with the jatha,” he mentioned.

Nihang chief Akali Jasdeep Singh mentioned the administration has accepted their calls for. “They’ve given us two days and mentioned that they’d take us to fulfill the arrested Sikhs. After we meet them and their household, we are going to focus on the mandatory steps to take. We won’t return as of now. As quickly because the Nihang Sikhs are launched and delivered to us, we are going to go together with them to Uttarakhand after which return on to Punjab,” he mentioned.

Hemkund Sahib, probably the most outstanding gurdwaras within the nation, is located in Chamoli at an altitude of 4,632 metres, and is visited by pilgrims yearly. The pentagonal gurdwara, fabricated from white marble, is dedicated to the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, and will get a lot of guests concurrently with the Char Dham Yatra. This yr, because it opened on Might 23, the gurdwara has recorded 1.46 lakh pilgrims. The 2025 season recorded 2.74 lakh devotees. The Nihangs are carefully related to Guru Gobind Singh and go to the pilgrimage centre in Uttarakhand in giant numbers.