Three persons, including a youth leader of the ruling SAD, were today arrested in connection with a brawl at a local hotel here, in which a senior officer of Punjab Police was seriously injured.

Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Counter Intelligence, Ludhiana, S S Mand's right leg was fractured in a clash at the hotel, owned by a Youth Akali Dal (YAD) leader Sunny Johar, here on Monday night.

Mand had gone to attend a Christmas eve party with three of his friends, including Paramjit Singh, an NRI, and their families.

The state Police had yesterday registered a case under various sections of the IPC, including attempt to murder, snatching and the Arms Act against three persons -Johar, Rishi Banda and Amandeep Singh.

Commissioner of Police (CP), Ludhiana Ishwar Singh told reporters here this evening that Amandeep Singh, a nephew of Johar, was arrested outside the Rose Garden in Kichlu Nagar here.

The remaining two - Johar alias Manpreet Singh and Rishi Banda were arrested from Zirakpur in Mohali district while they were on their way to Delhi, the CP said adding that a police party has gone to Mohali to bring the two accused.

Shiromani Akali Dal had late last night disowned the two YAD leaders claiming that they had been expelled in May this year.

Singh said the three accused would be produced in a court tomorrow.

He said that .32 bore revolver of NRI Parminder was recovered from Sunny, while its six cartridges were recovered from Banda.

Mand had intervened after his friend Paramjit was allegedly attacked by Sunny after the shoulder of the former accidentally hit the latter while he was on his way to the washroom.

Sunny with his associates, including bouncers, allegedly thrashed Paramjit. And after the AIG intervened he was also beaten and in the process he fell on the ground fracturing his right leg. The officer was rushed to a local hospital where he was operated upon this morning, police said.

Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, while referring to the Ludhiana incident, said, "In the Ludhiana case, police took prompt action...An FIR was registered...It was an attack on an individual who was not in uniform."

He appealed media not to equate those involved in criminal activities with Akalis, saying "those indulged in attack on a cop at Ludhiana are not associated with Bikram Singh Majithia (a minister and brother-in-law of Sukhbir)."

The person involved in the attack was expelled from the party long time back, he said.