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AAP sarpanch shot dead at wedding in Punjab’s Tarn Taran
Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav suspended deputy superintendent of police (DSP), Patti, Jagbir Singh and station house officer (SHO), Sarhali, Gurvinder Singh, over lapses in preventive policing
Aam Aadmi Party leader and sarpanch of Tarn Taran’s Thathian Mehantan village, under the Sarhali police station, Harbarinder Singh was shot dead by unidentified assailants during a wedding function on Wednesday.
Following the incident, director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav suspended deputy superintendent of police (DSP), Patti, Jagbir Singh and station house officer (SHO), Sarhali, Gurvinder Singh, over lapses in preventive policing.
The incident comes nearly a month after another sarpanch and AAP leader Jarmal Singh of Valtoha village in Amritsar district was shot dead during a marriage function on January 4.
Harbarinder had gone to attend a wedding at a marriage palace, Sidhu Farm, when three armed men opened fire on him from close range, police said. Around 500 guests were present when the attackers struck. The killing comes amid the Punjab government’s ongoing anti-gangster drive.
Villagers said Harbarinder was an active member of the ruling AAP and a close associate of a Punjab cabinet minister.
According to police, Harbarinder was seated with relatives when an unidentified youth approached from behind and shot him in the head, killing him on the spot. As his cousin, Jarmandeep Singh, tried to intervene and apprehend the attacker, another assailant opened fire with an AK-47 rifle, leaving him critically injured. He was rushed to a private hospital in Amritsar for treatment.
The attackers fled the scene on a motorcycle with the assistance of a third accomplice waiting outside the venue. Police recovered two empty cartridges from the spot.
Senior police officials, including SSP Surinder Lamba, reached the scene and launched an investigation. Teams have been formed under the supervision of SP (D) Riputapan Singh and SP headquarters Khushbir Kaur to trace and arrest the accused.
SSP Surendra Lamba further said based on the investigation, there does not appear to be any angle related to threat or extortion. As per preliminary inquiries, the possibility of a personal enmity or revenge angle appears to be strong, he said.
Four separate teams have been constituted for CCTV analysis. Another team, along with the FSL team, is examining the crime scene, the SSP added.
In a similar incident on November 30, 2025, two guests were killed in a shooting at a wedding function on Pakhowal Road in Ludhiana. The violence erupted due to a rivalry between gangster Shubham Arora, also known as Shubham Mota, and his rival Ankur. The gun battle took place at a wedding hosted by contractor Varinder Kapoor. Over 30 rounds were fired, resulting in the deaths of Vasu Chopra and Kapoor’s aunt Neeru Chhabra of Jalandhar.
