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Ludhiana: Firing at dhaba after ₹50-lakh extortion demand goes unmet
According to investigators, the incident took place around 6.30 am when the two assailants arrived on a motorcycle and stopped outside Prem Dhaba
Two masked bike-borne gunmen opened fire at a dhaba near Lalheri Chowk on the National Highway in Khanna on Friday morning after its owner allegedly refused to pay ₹50 lakh in extortion demand, police said, adding that no one was injured in the attack.
Police said an FIR has been registered against the two unidentified shooters. Investigators said the dhaba owner, Naresh Kumar Pathak, had approached police a few days ago alleging that he was receiving threat calls from gangsters Doni Bal and Shaganpreet Singh, who were demanding money and threatening to harm him and his family members. An FIR was registered against the duo then.
Shaganpreet Singh, a former manager of slain Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala, is believed to be settled in Australia.
According to investigators, the incident took place around 6.30 am when the two assailants arrived on a motorcycle and stopped outside Prem Dhaba, which was closed at that time. One of them then fired four to five rounds at the shutter before fleeing towards the National Highway.
Panic gripped the area after the gunshots, prompting local residents and shopkeepers to rush out and briefly chase the attackers. However, the assailants managed to escape within seconds.
Ashok Kumar, who runs a scooter repair shop nearby, said he had just opened his establishment when the firing began.
“I saw two youths on a motorcycle firing towards the dhaba. I immediately ran for safety and raised an alarm, but they sped away,” he said.
A worker present inside the eatery said he was preparing raw material when he heard multiple gunshots. Realising the dhaba was under attack, he hid behind furniture until the shooters fled.
Deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Mohit Kumar Singla said police teams are examining CCTV footage from the area to identify the shooters and trace their escape route.
The two gangsters — Doni Bal and Shaganpreet Singh — had earlier been named in a similar firing case at the shop of an arhtiya at the grain market in Payal. Seven people have been arrested in connection with the case.
