A 57-year-old landlord, Naresh Kumar, succumbed to his injuries on Friday at a hospital in Dasuya, Hoshiarpur district, after being allegedly attacked by three tenants over three months of unpaid rent. The incident occurred on July 6, when tenants Guddu, Sita, and Shatthu allegedly assaulted Naresh with a wooden spade handle.
Attack and Immediate Aftermath
According to police, the attack took place around 3:30 pm on July 6 at Naresh's old house in Kaintha Mohalla, Dasuya. Naresh, who ran a tailoring shop in Old Suniara Bazar, had rented out the upper portion of the house to migrant labourers from Bihar. He and his son Sahil Kumar went to collect the rent, with Sahil waiting outside on the street while his father went upstairs.
Hearing a commotion, Sahil rushed upstairs and found Sita and Shatthu allegedly abusing and assaulting Naresh with a wooden spade handle. When Sahil tried to intervene, the accused pushed Naresh down the staircase and fled by jumping across adjoining rooftops after issuing threats, as per the FIR.
Injuries and Hospitalization
Naresh sustained serious head and other injuries. He was initially rushed to the Civil Hospital in Dasuya, then referred to a private hospital in Jalandhar. His family brought him back to the Civil Hospital in Dasuya on Thursday, where he died on Friday morning.
Legal Action and Arrests
An FIR was initially registered against the three accused under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Following Naresh's death, provisions relating to murder were added to the FIR, confirmed SHO of Dasuya Police Station Daljit Singh.
Guddu and Sita, both natives of Nalanda district in Bihar, were arrested on July 7. Efforts are underway to apprehend the third accused, Shatthu. The investigation is ongoing.
