Punjab man shot dead in California, kin says for refusing to sell liquor to minor

“My children, who also live there, informed me that on Thursday evening (US time), when Parveen was alone at the store, a 15-16-year-old Mexican boy entered and asked for liquor. Parveen refused as US government laws prohibit sale of liquor to minors. Following this, the boy opened fire and shot Parveen in the abdomen before fleeing the scene,”said Suram Singh.

“My children were trying to contact Parveen over the phone but got no response. When they reached the store, they found a heavy police presence. Parveen could not be taken to the hospital in time and had succumbed to his injuries,” said Suram Singh.

Parveen’s father had died in 2015, and his mother, Beena Devi, who resides in their native village in Mukerian, is mentally disturbed. Parveen’s younger brother too lives in the US and works at the same store. Suram Singh said that Parveen was waiting for his permanent residency so that he could visit his mother in India.

The news of Parveen’s death came as shock to the villagers, and the family has requested the government to repatriate his body to India for the last rites.

This incident marks the second death of a Punjabi youth in abroad in a week. Recently, another youth, Mandeep Singh (24), also from Mukerian died after sustaining burn injuries in a truck accident accident near Canada.
Punjab Cabinet Minister Kuldip Singh Dhaliwal and Hoshiarpur Deputy Commissioner Komal Mittal met the two families Friday.