Kabaddi player shot dead near Jagraon SSP office

Tejpal, a resident of Giddarwindi village, had come to Hari Singh road with his two friends for some personal work where the incident took place, cops term it a fallout of enmity

A 25-year-old kabaddi player was shot dead in broad daylight in Jagraon on Friday, police said. The deceased has been identified as Tejpal Singh.

Police officials collecting evidence from the crime spot in Jagraon, Ludhiana, on Friday. (HT photo)

According to eyewitnesses, the incident took place on the Hari Singh road, which is near to the office of Ludhiana rural senior superintendent of police (SSP).

Tejpal, known as ‘Gabroo’, was a local kabaddi player who had participated in several district-level tournaments, said police.

According to police, Tejpal, a resident of Giddarwindi village, had come to the area with his two friends for some personal work. Eyewitnesses said a group of men arrived in a white Swift car around 2.50 pm and deliberately grazed Tejpal’s vehicle. When an altercation ensued, the accused first thrashed him and then one of the opened fire, resulting in a bullet injury to the kabaddi player’s chest. Tejpal’s friends rushed him to the Jagraon civil hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival, said police.

“Prima facie, it appears to be a case of personal rivalry. The accused and the victim had prior altercations but did not report them to the police,” Ludhiana Rural SSP Ankur Gupta said. He said they have identified three suspects — Honey and Kala, both residents of Roomi village, and a third person, Gagan from Moga, adding that police teams have been dispatched to arrest the accused.

Following the incident, Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Jagraon, Sarabjit Kaur Manuke, visited the victim’s house and assured the family that the accused would be arrested soon.

The family is waiting for the arrival of the victim’s sister, who is settled abroad, following which the last rites would be conducted.