58-year-old Sandeep Thapar, also known as Gora who is the chief of the Shiv Sena in Punjab was attacked with swords by four unidentified individuals dressed as Nihang Sikhs outside the Ludhiana Civil Hospital on the afternoon of 5th July. The entire instance was recorded on camera. Notably, his security detail was reduced a week earlier.
Sandeep Thapar, who is a descendant of Indian freedom fighter and martyr Sukhdev, was assaulted upon leaving the Samvedna Trust office next to Civil Hospital, where he had attended a memorial service for Trust founder-president and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Ravinder Arora’s fourth death anniversary, according to the authorities. Local non-governmental organization Samvedna Trust offers patients free ambulance service and cars to transport the deceased for cremation.
#BREAKING: Punjab Shiv Sena leader Sandeep Thapar, who is also descendant of Indian Freedom fighter and martyr Sukhdev, has been assaulted with swords by a group of Nihangs outside Ludhiana Civil Hospital in Punjab on Friday afternoon, his condition is believed to be serious. pic.twitter.com/Yx7XiMx3jy
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) July 5, 2024
Police revealed that the accused who were waiting outside, assaulted him with swords and beat him on the head before absconding from the spot. His lone gunman did not try to pursue the assailants or fight back to defend him. Witnesses brought the severely injured man to the civil hospital, where he was subsequently referred to the nearby Dayanand Medical College and Hospital. Shiv Sena leaders gathered at both the hospitals following the shocking incident and chanted slogans against the police administration and the incumbent Aam Aadmi Party government headed by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
“He had gone the civil hospital to attend a memorial function of BJP leader Ravinder Arora. As soon as he came out of the hospital with his gunman, a group of Nihangs intercepted him. The accused assaulted Sandeep Thapar with swords in front of his gunman who did nothing to save him,” disclosed Punjab Shiv Sena President Ravinder Arora.
According to Shiv Sena Punjab’s youth wing chief Sumit Arora, the victim had at least three gunmen providing security, but the police removed that protection a week ago. A gunman was later brought back to him. He added that the gunman used to abstain from work and watch silently, enabling the perpetrators to escape with ease. The police have started the inquiry and are looking for the culprits.
