Punjab: Ex-kabaddi player shot, assailants taunt kin to collect body
What's the story
A former kabaddi player, Gagandeep Singh (36), was shot dead in Ludhiana's Manuke village on Monday. The assailants arrived on motorcycles and, after the attack, rode up to Gagandeep's family home and told his relatives: "We have killed your boy, now go pick up his body," according to a report by The Indian Express. This incident is the third brazen killing in three days to rock Punjab.
Incident details
Gagandeep shot while in presence of friend
Singh, alias Gagna, was shot by the assailants at Dana Mandi while he was with a friend identified as Ekam. Ludhiana Rural SSP Ankur Gupta confirmed that Singh sustained at least three bullet injuries. The assailants dumped his body in nearby fields after the shooting. The SSP added that one of the five accused named by Singh's family has been arrested.
Motive revealed
Family reveals motive behind Gagandeep's murder
Singh's father, Gurdeep Singh Bagga, said the assailants had a rivalry with Ekam. "My son was trying to mediate between Ekam and the assailants, but they shot him dead," he said. Singh's wife, Navpreet Kaur, added that her husband and Ekam used to play kabaddi together, but the assailants opposed it.
Political reaction
Recent murders in Punjab spark political outrage
The recent spate of murders has drawn sharp reactions from opposition parties. Akali Dal leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal blamed Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for the deteriorating law and order situation. BJP state vice president Arvind Khanna said the murder "exposes the collapse of law and order" in Punjab under AAP's rule. State Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring also slammed AAP's governance over these incidents.
Recent incidents
Previous murders in Punjab
On Sunday, unidentified assailants shot AAP leader Jarmal Singh in the head while he was attending a wedding in Amritsar. The day before that, Congress worker Umarseer Singh was killed at Bhinder Kalan village in Moga district. US-based suspect Manpreet Singh, alias Mani Bhinder, claimed responsibility for the murder, citing an old enmity with the deceased. Incidentally, Manuke village in Ludhiana is also the native village of AAP's Jagraon MLA Sarvjit Kaur Manuke.