20 arrested after armed clash leaves three injured in Himachal’s Solan

Twenty people have been arrested for allegedly attacking three men with sharp-edged weapons in Solan district of Himachal Pradesh , police said on Sunday, adding that the clash appears to be linked to an ongoing dispute between the groups .

The injured were identified as Harsh (23) from Ward Number 7, Lalit Kishore (23) from Sirmaur district, and Lalit Kumar (26) of Bano village. All three sustained injuries during the assault and were initially taken to a civil hospital for treatment.

According to a complaint filed by an eyewitness, the incident began on Saturday when a group of men surrounded his cousin near a girls’ school , triggering a heated argument. The complainant said he rushed to the spot with friends and managed to rescue his cousin, who was allegedly being forcibly taken towards an ITI campus .

However, the confrontation escalated soon after. When the group was heading towards Dhobighat Colony , around 15 to 20 men armed with sharp-edged weapons intercepted them and launched an attack.

During the scuffle, the three men were injured. While two victims continued treatment locally, Lalit Kumar was referred to Indira Gandhi Medical College in Shimla for advanced medical care , police said.

Following the incident, police examined the scene and formed multiple teams to identify and track down the suspects . Investigators relied on CCTV footage and local intelligence , which led to the arrest of 20 accused persons involved in the attack.

Solan Superintendent of Police Thirumala Raju SD Verma said a case has been registered under several provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) , including Sections 126(2) (wrongful restraint), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 191(3) (rioting with a deadly weapon), and 190 (unlawful assembly) .

Police said further investigation is underway to determine the exact sequence of events and the role of each accused, though preliminary findings indicate the violence stemmed from a pre-existing dispute between the two groups .