Ludhiana, June 11 -- A land dispute in Bonkar Gujjran village of Koom Kalan has taken a tragic turn, with an elderly man succumbing to his injuries nearly three weeks after he was allegedly assaulted while trying to mediate between two rival groups.

The victim, Sukhdev Singh, was allegedly attacked on May 22 when he went to help settle an ongoing land dispute in the village. According to his grandson, Gurpreet Singh, members of one faction first rammed a tractor into the elderly man, knocking him to the ground, and then assaulted him with spades and sticks, leaving him critically injured.

He was admitted to a hospital in Ludhiana, where he died during treatment on Tuesday.

The family has alleged that despite approaching senior police o...