Armed Nihangs occupy Uttarakhand gurdwara, hold devotee hostage over arrest of sect members
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A group of six Nihangs entered a gurdwara in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag district, occupied its upper floors and held a Sikh devotee hostage while demanding the release of four members of the sect arrested in connection with a violent clash in Chamoli earlier this month, police said on Sunday.
The standoff began on Saturday evening at the Nagrasu Gurdwara on the Badrinath Highway. Police said the Nihangs, armed with spears, swords, axes, and kirpans, moved to the roof of the shrine after vandalising parts of the premises.
A heavy police presence was deployed at the site, with Rudraprayag district officials and senior police officers attempting to persuade the group to surrender and vacate the gurdwara. Garhwal Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey also reached the location to oversee efforts to resolve the situation.
According to police and gurdwara management, the Nihangs had demanded that 50 to 60 rooms be arranged for supporters expected to participate in a protest against the arrest of four Nihang pilgrims following a clash in Karnaprayag, Chamoli, on June 16.
When the request could not be met, the group turned violent and took control of the upper floors of the gurdwara. Police said they later took an elderly Sikh devotee to the roof and began raising slogans.
The four arrested Nihangs, all from Mohali in Punjab, were taken into custody after a dispute over parking in Karnaprayag escalated into a sword attack that injured four local residents. A Nihang pilgrim was also injured in the incident.
Gurdwara manager Beant Singh said the group arrived from Punjab on Saturday afternoon and warned authorities against taking forceful action. He said they were demanding the release of the arrested Nihangs and action against members of the opposing group involved in the Karnaprayag clash.
Police said negotiations were continuing. Superintendent of Police Niharika Tomar has reportedly assured the group of safe passage back to Punjab, but the situation remained unresolved as of Sunday.