PATIALA: Uday Singh, prime accused in the murder of the 4 Nihnags on September 21, likely to surrender in next week in front of police or in the court. 

Police Sources said here Saturday that Uday Singh and his family members were absconding since September 21 and as the police has tightened its nose around them. 

There is no alternative left for Uday Singh rather to surrender. The police have already recovered the passports of all of them from the Scorpio, suv of Uday Singh, which was taken into custody by the police from the spot. Police has also issued the look out notice to the Airport authority of India to prevent him to flee the country. 

In the war of succession in the Shiromani Panth Akali Budha Dal (Panjwan Takht), four nihangs belonging to the sect, who are relatives of Baba Balbir Singh, were killed in a clash between two warring groups on on September 21.

In the month of April 2007 Baba Santa Singh formally announced Balbir Singh as his legal heir of 96 Crori Shiromani Panth Akali Baba Budha Dal, headed by Baba Santa Singh.

Different groups of Nihangs have been vying for this status for the past many years. On a number of occasions the groups have clashed with each other to establish their supremacy and to establish their claim on the fact that a particular follower of the Dal is entitled to be legal heir of Baba Santa Singh.

A clash between two groups of Nihangs took place on April 15 in this year, the concluding day of Baisakhi mela, when a group of Nihangs, headed by Surjeet Singh, allegedly attacked Balbir Singh with fire arms when he was coming out of Gurudwara Degsar located in the head quarter premises of the Dal here.

A compromise was reached between Baba Santa Singh and Balbir Singh in the month of January in this year with the efforts by a section of those who mattered most into the management of affairs of the Dal. After the compromise between Baba Santa Singh and Balbir Singh, a group of Nihangs led by Surjeet Singh, who was in charge of horse section also, started claiming that Balbir Singh should not be given any sort of power into the Dal.

Udey Singh, nephew of Baba Santa Singh was made an independent in charge of educational wing of the Dal. The wing was dissolved by Baba Balbir Singh yesterday and taken the charge of all the educational institutes.