3 min readNov 20, 2025 10:14 AM IST
First published on: Nov 20, 2025 at 10:13 AM IST
The police in Punjab’s Ferozepur late Wednesday arrested the alleged mastermind behind the murder of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) volunteer Naveen Arora last Saturday after a brief exchange of fire on Arifke Road near the Sodhiwala village.
This came hours after the arrest of two co-accused, Kannav and Harsh, earlier in the day. The shooters, identified as Badal and his accomplice, however, continue to be at large even after five days of the murder of Arora, 32.
Bhupinder Singh Sidhu, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Ferozepur, said they intensified checking by installing checkpoints across the district following the arrests of the two accused in the morning.
“At one naka on Arifke Road, our team noticed a fast-moving motorcycle coming from the Sodhiwala side. The rider ignored the signal to stop and attempted to flee,” Sidhu said.
As the police chased the motorcycle, the rider allegedly opened fire, with one bullet hitting the mirror of the police vehicle, narrowly missing the driver. The police personnel returned fire, injuring the rider in the feet, causing him to fall.
He was identified as Gursimran alias Jatin Kali, and shifted to the civil hospital for treatment. The police said they also recovered a .32 bore pistol from him.
“We will verify whether it is the same weapon used in the murder,” Sidhu added.
Kali, a native of Badhri Jaimal Singh village, had been living in Basti Bhattian Wali in Ferozepur. Kannav, Harsh and Badal are also from Basti Bhattian Wali colony.
According to the police, Kali plotted Arora’s killing, and convened a meeting on November 13 at the house of Kannav, where the group gathered to celebrate a birthday. The police said two teams were formed — one comprising Kannav and Harsh, and the other Badal and his accomplice, who remain at large.
The police said both teams conducted a recce of Arora’s routine from November 13, with Kannav and Harsh designated as the backup team.
On November 15, Badal and his associate were seen conducting a recce in Ferozepur’s main bazaar an hour before the murder as per CCTV footage. The police rounded up Badal’s family for questioning Sunday after identifying him through facial recognition from CCTV footage, where he was seen wearing a white hoodie. His accomplice, in a black jacket, has been identified but not named yet.
Arora, the son of senior RSS leader Baldev Raj Arora, ran a dupatta shop in Ferozepur’s main market. According to police, two motorcycle-borne assailants fired at him near the Baba Noor Shah Wali dargah while he was going home on his motorcycle. One bullet struck him in the head, and he later succumbed at a private hospital.
SSP Sidhu said efforts are on to arrest Badal and his accomplice, believed to be the shooters in the case.
Ferozepur Police arrested the alleged mastermind behind the murder of RSS volunteer Naveen Arora. (File) 
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