Punjab police officer’s hand chopped off in lockdown attack

An officer’s hand was chopped off with a sword and two other Punjab policemen injured Sunday when a group of Nihangs attacked them after being asked to show curfew passes at a vegetable market in Patiala district, police said.

Seven people, including five attackers, were arrested hourslater after an exchange of fire at a gurdwara where the group fled after the6.15 am incident in Sanaur town.

   

One of the arrested men suffered gunshot wound, police said.

A video clip on social media appears to show Assistant SubInspector Harjeet Singh seeking help. A man picks up the severed hand and givesit to the officer. He is then taken away from the scene on a two-wheeler.

The ASI was rushed to Rajindra hospital nearby and then referredto PGIMER in Chandigarh where he was undergoing surgery, police said. The otherinjuresd policemen  include SadarPatiala’s station house officer.

“They (Nihangs) were asked to show passes. But theyrammed the vehicle against the gate and the barricades,” Patiala’s SeniorSuperintendent of Police Mandeep Singh Sidhu said.

The group then attacked the police personnel and fled toGurdwara Khichri Sahib managed by them in Balbera village, around 25 km fromPatiala city.

“Seven persons have been arrested,” Punjab Director Generalpolice Dinkar Gupta later told PTI.

Three pistols, petrol bombs, swords, sacks of poppy husk andLPG cylinders were recovered from gurdwara, the DGP said, adding that thesearches were still on.

The DGP said an exchange of fire also took place.

Meanwhile, after nearly eight hours of surgery, a team ofdoctors at the PGI on Sunday successfully re-implanted the left hand of ASI.

The 50-year-old patient had an amputation through theproximal wrist of left hand, said the PGI.

The reimplantation was started around 10 a.m. after initialpreparation of the amputated part. Both radial and ulnar arteries, the venacomitantes and an extra dorsal vein were anastomosed (reconnection of bloodverssels). All the flexors and extensor tendons were repaired, it said in astatement.

All the nerves at the wrist required bony fixation doneusing three K-wires. The approximate time taken was about 7.5 hours.

The PGI said this was technically very complex andchallenging surgery, which was successfully done.It was evaluated atthe end of surgery that hand is viable, warm with good circulation, it added.

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