Ludhiana, June 5 -- A 25-year-old man from Haibowal died on June 1 after battling for life for seven days following a brutal assault by unidentified assailants. The police have lodged a murder case suspecting that the attack was the result of an ongoing rivalry.

The victim, identified as Kanhayia Kumar of Laxmi Nagar, worked as an assistant to an architect. His mother, Meena Devi, said in her complaint that Kanhayia left their home on May 26 for work but never returned.

After a fruitless search, she was informed by her son's employer on May 27 that Kanhayia had been admitted to Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) in an unconscious state.

Kanhayia was found near the Gill Canal Bridge on May 26 by passersby who alerted the polic...