The Dhaba owner and employees have been accused of the attack. At present the police have arrested only two people for the attack. The owner of the dhaba and some other attackers are said to be absconding. FIR in this case has been registered in Kiratpur Sahib police station.
According to the FIR lodged in the early hours of Tuesday, the incident took place on Monday when Major Sachin Singh Kuntal of Ladakh Scouts and his soldiers were at Palchan near Manali in Himachal Pradesh, a day after winning the snow marathon held in Lahaul,
According to a news article published in The Indian Express. The team of soldiers returning to Chandimandir, the Western Command of the Army, had stopped for dinner at Alpine Dhaba near Bharatgarh in Ropar district at around 9.15 pm. According to the FIR, there was a dispute between the jawans and the dhaba owner over the manner of payment of the bill, as he did not accept payment through UPI and insisted on cash payment.
When the dispute continued and even after the soldiers paid the bill online, the owner insisted on cash payment and when the Major refused, a group of about 30-35 people attacked the officer and his men. The attackers hit him with sticks and iron rods. The Major suffered injuries on his hands and head and became unconscious, after which the attackers fled from the scene. These army soldiers immediately took him to Ropar Civil Hospital for treatment in their rented tempo traveler.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Ropar SSP Gulneet Singh Khurana said that FIR has been registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code e,i. 307 (attempt to murder), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 341 (wrongful restraint), 506 (criminal intimidation),
According to the SHO of Kiratpur Sahib, the two arrested accused have been identified as Rajneesh alias Himanshu, resident of Rajpura, Punjab and Tanay, resident of Uttar Pradesh.
