Mohali, July 31 -- The attack on a pharmacy in Phase 10 on May 1 has been traced back to a deep-rooted rivalry between two chemists, with police now arresting six people in the case, while one unidentified accused is still absconding. The main conspirator, identified as Nirmal Kanda of Phase 11, allegedly hired a man to damage the shop of his competitor, Harmandeep Singh. The police said that Nirmal Kanda deliberately planned the attack to tarnish the image and hamper the business of Harmandeep Singh, who owns a pharmacy in the same market. On May 1, the attackers damaged the shop's shutter and created panic in the area. The six arrested accused have been identified as Pratap Singh (Zirakpur), Nirmal Kanda (Phase 11), Sant Singh (Phase 10), Naresh Kumar (Rupnagar), Gurjit Singh (IT City), and Sazid (Nizampur). During the investigation, police discovered that Nirmal Kanda had paid Pratap Singh, a resident of Zirakpur, to carry out the act. CCTV footage and mobile surveillance also revealed a pattern of call exchanges between Kanda and Pratap before and after the incident. The vehicle used in the crime also played a crucial role in leading investigators to the suspects. According to police, Pratap Singh first entered the shop pretending to be a customer and picked up a minor argument over a purchase. He then deliberately escalated the situation and began fighting with shop owner Harmandeep Singh. Minutes later, he called more people to the spot, and the group proceeded to damage the shop and injure the owner. "We had initially arrested three people in the case. But as the investigation progressed, we found clear evidence linking Nirmal Kanda to the conspiracy," said DSP City 2, Harsimran Singh Bal. "It was a calculated business rivalry. Such actions won't be tolerated." Nirmal Kanda is currently on anticipatory bail. All have been booked under sections 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 126(2) (wrongful restraint), 333 (house-trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), and 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). "This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy rooted in commercial jealousy. We have one more accused to arrest, we'll arrest him soon," said Phase-11 SHO Aman Baidwan. "We've acted based on technical and material evidence and more arrests can't be ruled out if further links emerge," he added....