Punjab: The husband of a Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) sarpanch was shot dead in Punjab's Tarn Taran. The victim has been identified as Navdeep Singh.
According to preliminary investigations, Navdeep had an ongoing dispute with a local jeweller, Surinder Singh, alias Sonu Kanda. On Sunday evening, an argument broke out between the two, after which Kanda, along with associates Nirmal Singh Nimma and Arshdeep Singh, allegedly opened fire on Navdeep. He was rushed to a nearby private hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
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Punjab Police Register Case, Launch Search For Accused
Upon receiving information about the shooting, police arrived at the scene, secured the area and launched an investigation. Authorities have registered a case against the three accused under Section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and relevant sections of the Arms Act.
DSP (City) Sukhbir Singh stated that police teams are conducting raids to arrest the accused, while ruling out any gangster involvement or political rivalry behind the murder.
SAD Leaders Target AAP Government
The incident triggered sharp reactions from Akali Dal leaders against the ruling AAP government. SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia took to social media, stating that law and order in Punjab had "failed" under the state police.
"Law and order in Punjab has completely collapsed, with even elected sarpanches no longer safe," he wrote on X. He further alleged that Navdeep was targeted because he actively spoke out against anti-social elements.
Lok Sabha MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal also condemned the killing as a "cold-blooded murder" and questioned the AAP government's handling of the state's security.
Extending her support to the victim's family, she demanded immediate action, stating, "The perpetrators of this heinous crime must be hunted down and brought to justice."