Abohar bizman shot dead in brazen daylight attack, 4th killing in 10 days

In a spike in gang violence in Punjab, Sanjay Verma, a renowned cloth merchant and co-owner of New Wear Well Emporium in Abohar, was shot dead in broad daylight outside his showroom on Monday. The murder is being linked to an extortion threat he had reportedly received days earlier.

Verma (58) was a respected figure in Abohar. His tailoring brand, co-founded with his brother Jagat Verma, employed over 500 people and catered to politicians, NRIs and celebrities. His killing has triggered widespread panic in the town. All markets and schools will remain shut on Tuesday in protest against the incident.

A visibly shaken Jagat Verma questioned the state’s failure to curb gangster activity. He said, “We pay taxes, we give jobs, and my brother is killed on the road. What was his fault? Why are gangsters operating from jails?”

Shortly after the killing, a Facebook post allegedly from gangster Aarzoo Bishnoi, an associate of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, who hails from the same Abohar subdivision, claimed responsibility. The message named Goldy Dhillon, Aarzoo Bishnoi and Shubham Lonker from Maharashtra and said, “We had called him regarding a matter, but he refused to recognise us. We shot him dead to make it clear who we are. He used to support our enemies.”

Eyewitnesses reported that three masked assailants waited near Bhagat Singh Chowk. As Sanjay arrived in his Hyundai i20 car around 10.15 am, two of them opened fire, hitting him in the chest. He was declared dead at the local Civil Hospital. The attackers briefly lost control of their motorcycle before hijacking another vehicle. A CCTV footage later showed them escaping in a white Swift car.

This marks the fourth shooting in Punjab in just 10 days, reflecting the growing influence of organised crime in the state. On June 27, Harjit Kaur, mother of jailed gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, and his cousin were shot dead in Batala.

On July 4, Dr Anil Jit Kamboj, father of actor Tania, was critically injured in a shooting at his Moga clinic. The following day, Jugraj Singh was gunned down in broad daylight in Amritsar district.

From 2023 to March 2025, the state registered 569 FIRs related to gangster threats, including extortion and intimidation. Police sources revealed that over 600 extortion and threat calls were reported in 2023 and 2024, though the exact number of cases this year remains unclear.

The state currently faces a severe challenge from over 500 gangs and modules operating under the umbrella of 10 major gangs, with an estimated 2,200 members. According to the NIA, the Lawrence Bishnoi gang alone has 700 members nationwide.

Despite the formation of the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) and repeated crackdowns, the extortion economy continues to thrive. Gangsters use encrypted apps and social media to issue threats, often from foreign soil. While the state police have blocked over 480 such accounts, the menace persists.

Punjab