Phagwara, Oct 2 (PTI) Armed assailants attacked a village sarpanch here with sharp-edged weapons on Friday and severely injured him, police said.

Harjit Singh (60) was initially hospitalised in Panchhat and then taken to the civil hospital in Phagwara. He was later referred to the DMC hospital in Ludhiana, they said, adding that his condition is critical.

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Tarlochan Singh, son of the sarpanch, told reporters that his father was going on his motorcycle to fetch milk like he did everyday when he was attacked by six-seven men.

He said the assailants were hiding in a roadside field to pounce on the sarpanch.

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"When my father reached near them, they virtually waylaid him, attacking him with swords and 'datturs' while he was still on his bike. After the attack, my father fell down and the assailants pounced upon him, inflicting multiple serious injuries to him," Tarlochan Singh said.

Police did not rule out old enmity as a motive behind the murderous assault.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)