JALANDHAR, March 7 -- Eight days after being brutally assaulted by five miscreants, Mahinder Singh, sarpanch of Butte Diyan Chhana village in Jalandhar, succumbed to his injuries on Saturday.

According to police, Mahinder Singh was attacked with sharp-edged weapons and iron rods on February 28 after he objected to alleged drug smuggling activities by local peddlers in the village and nearby areas.

A three-time sarpanch of the village, Mahinder Singh had sustained a fractured skull and severe injuries to both legs in the attack. He had been undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Jalandhar since the incident.

The attack took place early in the morning when he was on his way to his fields along with his wife.

Following his death, ...