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Sarpanch shot dead in Moga’s Baghapurana, police cite personal enmity
Victim Harpinder Singh, the sarpanch of Patto Hira Singh village was attacked at about 11 am on the Baghapurana-Kotkapura road. His killing adds to a series of attacks on village heads in Punjab this year.
In a brazen daylight attack that has once again raised questions over the law-and-order situation in Punjab, a village sarpanch and local gym owner was shot dead by unidentified assailants in the Baghapurana sub division of Moga district on Friday morning.
The victim, Harpinder Singh, alias Happy, the sarpanch of Patto Hira Singh village, was attacked at about 11 am on the Baghapurana-Kotkapura road, police said.
Moga senior superintendent of police (SSP) Ajay Gandhi, who rushed to the spot, said the killing as a fallout of personal enmity rather than a random act of terror. “Harpinder had 10-12 criminal cases registered against him and had a long-standing tiff with another group,” the SSP told reporters. “The assailants and the vehicle used in the crime have been identified through CCTV footage. Our teams are currently chasing the culprits.”
The SSP confirmed that three to four individuals arrived in the SUV and fired between eight to 10 bullets. While Harpinder was rushed to a nearby hospital in critical condition, he succumbed to his injuries during treatment.
The killing of Harpinder Singh adds to a series of attacks on Aam Aadmi Party village heads in Punjab this year. On January 4, AAP sarpanch Jarmal Singh was killed at a wedding in Valtoha village in Amritsar district. The Davinder Bambiha gang later claimed responsibility. On February 18, AAP sarpanch Harbarinder Singh of Thathian Mehta village was gunned down using an AK-47 during a wedding in Tarn Taran district. The Lakhbir Landa gang claimed the hit via social media.
On February 28, a bid was made on the life of Mohinder Singh, the AAP sarpanch of Bute Dia Chhana and a Jamhoori Kisan Sabha leader, in Jalandhar. One of the five accused, Sukhjit Singh, was arrested on Thursday after an encounter. It was a case of personal rivalry.
A police team led by Baghapurana station house officer Jitendra Singh reached the spot shortly after the shooting.
“We got information about the firing around 11am. Initial investigation suggests the murder is a fallout of personal or political rivalry. We have identified some of the suspects through CCTV footage and have launched a hunt,” the SHO said.
The police have cordoned off the area and are scanning footage from the Baghapurana-Kotkapura highway to track the escape route of the white Fortuner used in the crime.
Opposition parties, including the Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal, have criticised the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government for the “complete breakdown of law and order” and the brazenness of gangster-led hits.
