Assailants open fire at Punjab AAP leader Daljit Raju Darvesh’s house; extortion notes recovered

Darvesh is considered an influential political figure in Kapurthala’s Phagwara and serves as a ‘War on Drugs’ coordinator in the region. He was earlier associated with the Congress party and also served as the district president of Kapurthala. Later, he joined the AAP and is known to be close to former minister Joginder Singh Mann. He is also regarded as a trusted associate of MP Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal.

He has previously headed the Dehati (Rural) Congress in the region and holds significant influence in the rural areas of Phagwara.

The entire incident was caught on CCTV cameras installed near the house. In the footage, the assailants can be seen firing repeatedly and even reloading their weapons midway. The police confirmed that the shots were fired using a .45 bore pistol, and multiple spent shells have been recovered from the scene.

STORY | Punjab: Shots fired at house of AAP leader, no one injured

Two motorcycle-borne men opened fire at the house of a ruling AAP leader near Darvesh Pind village on the Phagwara-Jandiala road early Thursday, police said. No one was injured in the incident.

Phagwara… pic.twitter.com/Yx49uqq5O8

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While escaping, the attackers threw four pieces of paper, each along with a demand for ₹5 crore. Police have seized all evidence and initiated a detailed investigation.

After receiving information, the SHO of the Sadar Police Station reached the spot with his team and began scanning CCTV footage from the surrounding areas.

Madhavi Sharma, Superintendent of Police, Phagwara, formed multiple police teams to trace the attackers and added that the culprits would be arrested soon.

Congress MLA from Phagwara, Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal, alleged in his social media post that there has been a massive law and order failure in Phagwara. “When will authorities step up to protect citizens? Swift action against the culprits and stronger policing are urgently needed,” Dhaliwal said.