Hearing and speech impaired Sikh's hair cut; tension in Nahan

SHIMLA: Tension pervaded Nahan town of Sirmaur district in Himachal Pradesh on Friday evening after a local resident cut the hair of a hearing and speech impaired Sikh man, who is probably in his sixties.

On coming to know of this, angry members of the community held a demonstration. To defuse the situation, the police arrested three persons within an hour of the victim identifying one of them. But this didn't quell the angry mob and some people hurled a petrol bomb at the house of the accused, injuring ASI Madan, in-charge of Gunnughat police chowki. He was hospitalized with 20% burns.

Sources said the victim was homeless and used to wash utensils and have food at the house of the accused once in a while. The accused told the police that they had trimmed the man's hair as he had complained of irritation in his scalp. As the victim can only communicate through gestures, the police have decided to bring in an expert to find out what happened.

Sirmaur SP Soumya Sambasivan said what occured would only come out after the sign language expert interacts with the Sikh man.She also said that a case of hurting religious sentiments had been registered against the accused. Sirmaur SP Soumya Sam basivan said five youths who had hurled a petrol bomb at the cops guarding the house of the accused too have been apprehended.

A case of rioting, attempt to murder, and assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of his duty has been registered against those who attacked policemen on duty outside the house of the accused.