“Gangland”: Punjab reels as gun violence spreads from streets to wedding hall

At least 15 major killings linked to gun violence have occurred in recent months. Victims have ranged from an RSS leader’s son and a kabaddi player to a grocery shop owner and a transport company employee. Police, in several encounters, have also “opened fire in self-defence,” killing suspects, while many other cases involve extortion attempts or intimidation shootings outside homes and shops.

Even leaders of the ruling party have been targeted. On November 27, unidentified bike-borne assailants fired nearly 20 rounds at the house of AAP leader Daljit Raju Darvesh in Phagwara, leaving extortion notes signed by the Raja Kala gang demanding Rs 5 crore. Earlier, on September 20, five assailants fired outside AAP leader Sukhwinder Singh Shinda’s house in Ludhiana’s Lehra village, set his car on fire, and scaled boundary walls.

On November 19, a jail guard shot dead his wife and mother-in-law with his government rifle before killing himself. A day earlier, on November 18, the manager of Kahlon Transport Company, Makhan Singh, was shot dead at Amritsar’s ISBT terminal, causing panic among commuters. That same day, Shiv Sena (Bal Thackeray) Punjab vice-president Inderjit Karwal and his son Jimmy were assaulted by a group in Phagwara.

On November 17, 22-year-old Rimple was killed and four friends injured in Banga, Nawanshahr district, when gunmen opened fire at their SUV near the bus stand, barely 100 metres from the local police station. CCTV footage showed pedestrians running for their lives.

A day earlier, 65-year-old grocery shop owner Manjit Singh was shot dead in Dhoolka village, Amritsar district, after refusing to pay a Rs 50 lakh ransom. Police said the main accused, Raja Singh alias Billa, was later killed in an encounter.

On November 15, Naveen Arora, 32, son of RSS leader Baldev Raj Arora, was shot dead in Ferozepur by motorcycle-borne assailants while walking home from his dupatta shop. The main shooter, Badal, was also killed in an encounter.

Earlier in November, Gurwinder Singh alias Kinda, 20, was shot dead and his friend injured in Manki village under Khanna police jurisdiction. Nine accused were arrested, three, including a cop, injured in an encounter. Among them was jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi’s aide, Ravi Rajgarh.

October saw more bloodshed. On October 10, two men, Sarabjit Singh Kaka and Kanav Mahajan, were shot dead in Batala’s crowded market by bike-borne assailants. On October 31, near the Ludhiana Rural SSP’s office, 25-year-old kabaddi player Tejpal Singh was assaulted and shot dead.

In September, Amit Kumar, 36, the brother of a local Congress leader, was shot dead at his tavern in Ludhiana’s Sahnewal after an argument over a Rs 120 bill.

In July, two high-profile incidents shook the state. On July 7, Abohar’s prominent cloth businessman Sanjay Verma was shot dead at point-blank range by three masked assailants in broad daylight. On July 4, two men posing as patients opened fire at Dr Aniljit Kamboj at his nursing home in Moga’s Kot Ise Khan town. Kamboj survived. Police said Kamboj had been receiving extortion calls linked to gangster Landa Harike.

Oppn targets CM Mann: “Not AAP, but gangsters running govt”

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal accused the AAP government of turning Punjab into a “gangland.” “At a wedding event in Ludhiana, several lives were lost,” he wrote on X. “…murders and lootings are happening day in and day out, and yet the government has no concern.”

Leader of Opposition and senior Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa alleged: “It’s not the AAP but gangsters running the government in Punjab.“

BJP state president Sunil Jakhar echoed similar criticism. “There is no government left in Punjab but only gangs ruling the state. Common people are seeking arms licences to protect themselves as they have no faith left in the police or government. Earlier, people cited examples of UP and Bihar for law-and-order collapse; now it’s Punjab. Something is seriously amiss with this government. They are not realizing the gravity of the situation,” Jakhar said.

Police response

Punjab ADGP (Law and Order) Arpit Shukla declined to comment on the worsening situation. However, a senior police officer defended the force’s efforts, stating, “Our force is dealing with criminals with a heavy hand. We agree weapons have proliferated not just in border areas but also in mainland Punjab. We are conducting special operations, intelligence is on high alert, and we are responding to gang firings in equal measure.”