Ludhiana horror: Man hacked to death, severed hand handed to shopkeeper in Polythene bag

Ludhiana: A man was brutally murdered by a group of armed assailants in Punjab's Ludhiana on Saturday, with the attackers chopping off one of his hands and handing the severed limb to a nearby grocery shopkeeper in a polythene bag, police said.

The victim, identified as Shakti Singh alias Bhura, was attacked inside a house near Redu Sahib Gurdwara in the Daba area. Police suspect the killing may have stemmed from a long-standing rivalry.

Ludhiana Assistant Commissioner of Police Roop Deep Kaur said the main accused, identified as Gurmit Singh C D, has been arrested.

According to police, five to six assailants armed with swords and other sharp-edged weapons forced their way into the house where Singh was present and launched a violent attack.

The owner of the house, who was acquainted with the victim, attempted to intervene but was also assaulted by the attackers.

During the assault, the assailants severed one of Singh's hands and placed it inside a white polythene bag.

In a particularly disturbing development, the attackers allegedly handed the bag containing the severed hand to the owner of a nearby grocery store and instructed him to deliver it to Singh's family.

Singh sustained critical injuries in the attack and was rushed to a hospital. However, he died while undergoing treatment, police said.

Police suspect old rivalry behind murder

Daba Station House Officer Jatinder Kumar said Singh had previously been booked in 12 criminal cases.

Investigators suspect the murder could be linked to a long-standing feud, although the exact motive has yet to be established.

Police are examining CCTV footage from the surrounding area to identify and track down the remaining suspects involved in the attack.

While the main accused has been taken into custody, efforts are underway to arrest the other assailants.