Heera Singh Rasal Singh Junni was under the protection of the Nigdi police when he was stabbed with a sword. Heera and his brother Gurudeo (26) had sought protection as they had been attacked by the same gang earlier in the evening.

Some policemen from Yamuna Nagar police chowki, who were accompanying Heera, nabbed one of the assailants. The others made good their escape taking advantage of the chaos that prevailed. Two more assailants were arrested on Tuesday morning.

Among the three arrested were history-sheeter Mahesh Narayan Garole (22), Dilip Vitthal Shinde (40) and Ramdas Omkar More (42) of Rajnagar. A hunt has been launched to track down their absconding accomplices.

Meanwhile, Gurudeo Singh has lodged a first information report (FIR) at the Nigdi police station naming some of the absconding assailants asMahesh's brothers -- Balu and Bandu, Raju Belkar, Sanjay Wale, Pintya and Dilip.

The police said Gurudeo and Heera had a long-standing rivalry with the Garoles. The rivalry had started when Gurudeo Singh and Heera Singh objected to the Garoles' eve teasing.

Enraged, the Garoles reached Junni's residence along with their accomplices on Monday evening and demanded to know why they were getting involved in the matter.

A heated argument ensued when the brothers insisted that the Garoles must not harass their neighbours.

Gurudeo alleged that the Garoles tried to stab him and Heera during the course of the argument. However, they rescued themselves and sought shelter at the nearby Yamuna Nagar police chowki.

According to the FIR, the policemen offered to arrest the assailants when the Junnis told them that they had been attacked.

The two brothers were returning home when Heera spotted the assailants near Hanuman Sweet Home and pointed them out to the policemen accompanying them.

The policemennabbed Mahesh Garole. However, the FIR said, his accomplices drew swords and stabbed Heera before fleeing the scene.

A profusely bleeding Heera was shifted to Sassoon Hospital by Gurudeo and the policemen accompanying him. Heera was proclaimed ``dead on arrival'' at the hospital.