Rudraprayag: Dispute at Gurudwara, police dismiss hostage claims

Rudraprayag police have dismissed reports of a hostage situation at the Nagrasu Gurudwara. Officials clarified that a brief dispute between Gurudwara attendants and a visiting Nihang Sikh group was resolved peacefully through mediation.

The Rudraprayag District Police on Monday dismissed the reports of a hostage situation or occupation at the Nagrasu Gurudwara following a brief dispute between two groups, police said.

Background of the Dispute

The situation, which began on Saturday evening, stems from a dispute following a separate clash in Karnaprayag (Chamoli) on June 16. The Nihang group, which arrived at the Nagarasu Gurdwara from Mohali, Punjab, had demanded arrangements for a large-scale protest against the recent arrest of four of their associates in connection with the earlier incident.

Police Mediate to Restore Order

According to Rudraprayag Superintendent of Police (SP) Niharika Tomar, the Police Control Room received an alert via the 112 emergency service at 3:40 pm regarding a conflict at the site "On June 20, 2026, at 3:40 pm, the Police Control Room in Rudraprayag received information from 112 of a dispute that had broken out between two parties at Nagrasu Gurudwara. Upon receiving this information, the Gholtir Outpost force arrived at the scene, restored peace, and gathered full information about the incident," he said.

She added that the police successfully restored order after mediating between the Gurudwara's attendants and a group of visiting Nihang Sikh pilgrims. "Upon gathering information, it was revealed that a dispute had arisen between the Gurdwara's attendants and the Nihang Sikh pilgrims who had come there. After police held talks, the Nihangs retreated, blocking the entrance to the Gurdwara and the roof," he said.

Authorities Quash Social Media Rumours

SP Tomar issued a strong appeal to the public to disregard misleading information circulating on social media platforms. "We pacified them, and after this, one Nihang traveller came back down and spoke to us, and we listened to all their problems. I would also like to appeal to you not to pay attention to the misleading information being spread on social media. There is no occupation or hostage of any kind at the Gurdwara. All the arrangements here are running smoothly," he said.

Earlier, Rudraprayag District Magistrate (DM) Vishal Mishra urged people not to pay heed to rumours claiming that the Gurdwara had been taken over or that a hostage situation had arisen there. However, he acknowledged that a dispute occured inside the Gurdwara. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)