Student shot at for refusing to salute

A gun-toting son of a Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) functionary on Tuesday fired two shots at a student in Bhadson town in Patiala after the pupil declined to salute him every time they met.

Harphool Pathak, who was injured on the arm and the leg, was admitted to Rajindra Hospital in Patiala after being shot from a close range by Hardeep Singh, son of Jarnail Singh Matroda.

Sources said Hardeep shot Pathak with his father’s licensed gun. He has been arrested and an attempt to murder case registered against him. Sources said Matroda is the district public secretary of the SAD’s local unit. The incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon as the duo crossed paths in the market area. An argument ensued as Hardeep sought an explanation from Pathak on why he did not salute Hardeep every time they met. As a crowd gathered around the sparring duo, Hardeep left, only to land up at Pathak’s home after some time. He fired at Pathak twice. “He could have killed me had the shopkeepers not intervened. He wanted me to salute him whenever I met him,” Pathak said.