Jandiala Guru Municipal Councillor shot dead in Amritsar’s Chheharta

Jandiala Guru Municipal Councilor Harjinder Singh, alias Baman, a member of the Shiromani Akali Dal, was shot dead by bike-borne armed assailants in the Chheharta area of Amritsar on Sunday.

Harpal Singh, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP), said that the police have named several individuals in the case and launched a manhunt to apprehend them.

It was apparently a targeted killing carried out by Kishan, a Dubai-based notorious criminal and gangster with over 15 criminal cases against him. An old enmity is believed to be the motive behind the incident.

The victim, along with his family, had come to Chheharta to attend a function. He was on his way to a nearby eatery with his relatives when unidentified motorcycle-borne assailants with covered faces arrived and shot him, leaving him critically injured. He succumbed to his injuries on the way to the hospital.

He had been receiving threats from several individuals, and on May 12, unknown persons had also fired gunshots outside his residence in Jandiala. However, he was not at home when that incident occurred. Harpal Singh said that, based on the statements of the family members, the police have named Kishan, Karan, Ghuddu, Goldy, and Raju as suspects. Kishan, who is currently based in Dubai, has several criminal cases registered against him."

Vinod Kumar, SHO Chheharta police station, said that the CCTV cameras in the area were being analysed to find clues about the perpetrators.

Karamjit Singh, an eyewitness said he was at his shop when he heard gunshots. He came out of the shop and found the victim lying in a pool of blood. Two motorcyclists with covered faces were seen running away from the scene.

The family members and relatives alleged that Harjinder Singh had been raising a voice against drug peddlers in the area, who were threatening him.

Sources in the police said that Kishan was a close confidant of the notorious gangster Happy Jatt. He was arrested by the police in a criminal case and released on parole around eight months ago. However, he fled to Dubai using a fake passport.

Amritsar