Pankaj was driving to the Fireball Gym in his car after his practice stint at the National Institute of Sports here, when he overtook a scooter. As there was a pool of muddy water and the car drove over it, the muddy water was splashed on to the scooterists. As they started abusing him, Dharmani stepped out from his car.

However this proved to be his undoing as the two scooterists caught hold of him and hit him over his eye.

Even as Dharmani fell to the ground, he was reportedly hit with a brick in the head. A profusely bleeding Dharmani was immediately rushed to the Government Rajindra Hospital by the owner of the the Gym, who also tried to overpower the alleged assailants. One of the two, who allegedly hit Dharmani, was identified as Ashutosh Gautam, son of local BJP leader.

Dharmani received 15 stitches in the head and eight more over his right eye. He was shifted to the Surgery Ward Number Six where he would be under observation for another 48 hours.

Dharmani's father, a Superintending Engineer with the Punjab State Electricity Board, and his family members and friends were in the side room of the ward, attending Dharmani, when visited by this correspondent.

Test cricketer and mentor Navjot Singh Sidhu, in Patiala for a couple of days before his departure with the Indian team to Toronto for the Indo-Pak Sahara Cup, visited Dharmani in the hospital immediately after the incident and spent some time with him. Sidhu said that this was a serious case in which the authorities must take strict action as the career of a budding cricketer was involved. Parampal Singh Sidhu, Senior Superintendent of Police, confirmed the incident and said that a case has been registered. He also said that police investigations were in progress but no arrest had been made so far.

This incident has come as a blow to Pankaj Dharmani, who was eagerly looking forward to the forthcoming season in his endeavor to make a comeback in the national reckoning.