Man assaulted over cricket ball

SHILLONG: A neighbourhood feud over a cricket ball turned violent on Sunday when one person was injured and complaints and counter-complaints were lodged.
Shekhar Kumar, who lives in one of the government quarters of the Additional Secretariat, has alleged that his neighbour Kuldeep Singh, who works as a cleaner in a government office, hit his father with a rod on the head on Sunday afternoon.
Shekhar and his friends were playing cricket in the neighbourhood when the ball fell on the roof of Kuldeep’s house.
When they went to ask for the ball from Kuldeep’s son Bobby Singh, he refused to give it back.
The boys then went over to their house and Kuldeep allegedly spoke arrogantly with them which led to an argument.
On hearing this, Shekhar’s father Ganesh Rai came out to intervene. After some time, Kuldeep took a rod and beat Rai on the head, Shekhar has alleged.
Rai was taken to Civil Hospital for treatment. He alleged that Kuldeep would often speak indecently and harassed his neighbours.
The neighbours witnessing the fight alleged that Kuldeep called the Punjabis settling at Sweepers lane (Them Iew Mawlong) which increased the tension leading to the assault on Rai.
The neighbours demanded Kuldeep’s arrest.
Shekhar lodged a complaint that on Sunday around noon, three persons, Kuldeep Singh, Ram Singh and Kashmira Kaur attacked his father with an iron rod and also threatened him with dire consequences.A counter complaint was filed by Gurpeet Singh on the same day in which he said that at about 11 am, seven persons, Ganesh Rai, Shankar Rai, Pankaj Kumar, Santosh Kumar, Ranju Devi, Lalvati and Dellep Kumar and others, went to his residence at Additional Secretariat, Shillong, shouted at him with indecent language, pulled his turban and also assaulted him and his father, causing injuries to them