TNNRTI activist held for alleged assault on excise officialLudhiana: A man who claims to be an RTI activist was arrested after he allegedly attacked an assistant commissioner (excise) at his office in Ludhiana on Thursday. Division No. 5 police registered a case against him and another individual.Assistant commissioner (excise) Amit Goyal told the police that he was in his office around 1:15pm, holding a meeting with excise officer Vikas Kumar, when the accused, Pankaj Kumar Malhotra, allegedly barged in. He alleged that Malhotra started abusing him and assaulted him.Goyal said he tried to defend himself, but Malhotra overpowered him and continued hitting him. He alleged that the accused threatened him, saying he and one Gaurav Dang would not spare him.The official said staff members and liquor contractors present outside his office rushed to his rescue after he raised an alarm.He alleged that the accused snatched his mobile phone and threw it on the floor, damaging it, and also broke his spectacles during the assault.Goyal said employees informed senior officers about the incident while he went to the civil hospital for treatment.Police said a case had been registered against Pankaj Kumar Malhotra and Gaurav Dang and further investigation was underway.Just see if any of the stories i give u are repeats of what u have already takenAccording to Joy, five to six men rammed their vehicle into his SUV and later hit an Activa before damaging goods kept outside a shop.Joy alleged that the men appeared to be under the influence of drugs. He said when he stopped and asked them to compensate for the damage to his vehicle, they started arguing with him and attacked him.The property dealer said they pelted bricks at him and his vehicle, causing injuries to his head. He added that he had a licensed .32-bore revolver and fired a shot in self-defence.Joy alleged that one of the assailants was hit in the leg, following which the group fled. He said that had he not defended himself, the men would have killed him.Joy’s son, Mark, backed his father, saying that he had fired in self-defence.Dugri SHO inspector Gurmukh Singh said investigations were on.Police said CCTV footage from the area was being examined. They added that police were trying to trace the person who allegedly suffered a bullet injury and his associates who allegedly attacked the property dealer.Police sources further said the circumstances surrounding the firing, including the property dealer’s claim that he opened fire in self-defence, would be verified during the investigation.