Bikers stop kabaddi player for selfie, shoot him dead in Mohali

The Gopi Ghanshampur gang, in a post on social media, claimed responsibility for the killing, saying it was revenge for Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala’s murder. The post claimed that Rana was linked to Lawrence Bishnoi and Jaggu Bhagwanpuria. “He provided shelter to the killers of Moosewala and personally managed their associates. Today, by killing Rana, we have avenged our brother Moosewala,” read the post. Police said they were verifying the post.

The incident took place at Sohana in Mohali where a private kabaddi tournament had been going on for the past few days, SSP Harmandeep Singh Hans said.

It was the concluding day of the 29th Sohana Kabaddi Cup, but the final match was later cancelled. Punjabi singer Mankirt Aulakh was to give away the prizes later in the evening and had reached near the venue when the incident took place. The tournament organisers, however, asked him to return.

SSP Hans said two-three assailants, who were on a motorcycle, pretended to be fans and approached Rana asking for a selfie, before opening fire at him allegedly from a .32 bore weapon. Sources said Rana sustained four to five gunshot wounds.

File photo of victim Digvijay Singh Rana Balachauriya.

The Fortis Hospital, in a statement said, Rana was brought to the “hospital at 6:05 pm with gunshot injuries” and “despite immediate clinical assessment, he was declared brought dead.”

The attack unfolded while the tournament was being live-streamed on YouTube. Initially, spectators mistook the gunshots for firecrackers, police said quoting eyewitnesses. They said the assailants also fired in the air to scare away the spectators. A forensics team later recovered five shells from the spot.

Asked if there was any gang rivalry behind the killing, the SSP said, “This appears to be a sudden and targeted criminal attack. A case has been registered under relevant sections against unidentified persons. CCTV footage from nearby areas is being examined, and the accused will be arrested soon”.

Rana was known for nurturing young talent and was scheduled to take his team to Bahrain next month for matches. Originally from Balachaur, he had been residing in Mohali for some time. Apart from kabaddi, he was also into modelling and acting.

Sohana tournament promoter Rupinder Singh Rupa said Rana had brought two teams to the tournament.

The daring murder comes two months after a 25-year-old kabaddi player, Teja Singh, was shot dead in in Jagraon. Prior to that, international kabaddi player Sandeep Nangal was shot dead in Jalandhar district in the middle of a tournament.

While there was no immediate reaction from the ruling Aam Aadmi Party, the Opposition slammed the Bhagwant Mann dispensation, saying that the law and order has collapsed in the state.

Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring said the Rana’s killing “is a chilling reminder of AAP government’s abject failure” to maintain law and order. “Bullets flying at public events are proof of governance collapse. Punjabis are being forced to live in fear,” he said on x.

Senior Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa said the “gunshots at the kabaddi tournament are a damning verdict on Bhagwant Mann’s total failure as Chief Minister and Home Minister”. Bajwa, who is also the Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, claimed that sporting arenas have turned into shooting grounds while criminals roam with impunity. “When bullets fly at public events, it’s clear the state has lost control. This isn’t governance, this is abdication. Punjab is paying the price for Mann’s incompetence and misplaced priorities. Law and order has collapsed completely. How many more shots before accountability,” he asked.

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal said the incident has once again shaken Punjab to its core. “Under the state’s inept government, the morale of criminals has risen to such heights that they do not hesitate to fire shots even in the middle of a running match in front of the entire crowd. It is the incompetence of CM Mann that murders, extortions and numerous other terrorist incidents are happening daily in Punjab,” he said in a post in Punjabi on X.

Punjab BJP working president Ashwani Sharma claimed the state has become so insecure today that even the kabaddi fields are no longer safe from bullets. “The incident is even more heartbreaking because Rana had been married recently. A married life was mercilessly ended by gangster rule,” Sharma said.

He also said this was not the first such incident. “Previously, kabaddi players Sandeep Nangal Ambian and Tejpal Singh were brutally murdered. All these events make one thing clear – Punjab’s players are also in the crosshairs of gangsters under the Bhagwant Mann government,” Sharma said on X.

Sharma also alleged that “under Bhagwant Mann’s failed leadership and Arvind Kejriwal’s remote-control government run from Delhi, law and order in Punjab has completely collapsed”.

“Criminals, gangsters, murderers and shooters are roaming freely without any fear, while the government is busy with advertisements and false claims. From villages to cities, from streets to stadiums – there is an atmosphere of fear in Punjab today,” he alleged.