Ludhiana: Won’t cremate body till all accused held: Family

The 36-year-old former kabaddi player was gunned down on Monday in what the police described as the fallout of a long-standing rivalry linked to kabaddi-related disputes in the village

The family of former kabaddi player Gagandeep Singh, who was shot dead at Manuke village in the district on Monday, has refused to perform his last rites, demanding the arrest of all the accused named in the FIR.

The SSP said the complaint had been resolved at the panchayat level and that he would look into the matter. (HT Photo)

The 36-year-old former kabaddi player was gunned down on Monday in what the police described as the fallout of a long-standing rivalry linked to kabaddi-related disputes in the village. The attack was allegedly led by Gursewak Singh, alias Mota, a resident of the same village, along with a group of armed associates. According to the family, the murder was the result of Gagandeep standing up for his friend Ekam, who was being harassed by the rival group.

Ekam, who was present at the time of the attack, sustained minor injuries, while Gagandeep suffered three bullet injuries and later died at the hospital.

Gurmeet Kaur, the victim’s mother, said the family would not cremate the body until all the accused were arrested. “The attackers not only murdered my son but also came near to our house to announce it. We will not perform the last rites until justice is served,” she added.

Navpreet Kaur, Gagandeep’s wife, said her husband used to mentor Ekam, alleging that the accused were against Ekam playing the sport. “My husband was killed for standing for Ekam,” she said.

An FIR has been registered at Hathur police station against Gursewak Singh, alias Mota, Nikka Singh, alias Gharu, Pardeep Das, alias Pappa, Jaspal Singh Hansa, all residents of Manuke village, Gurdeep Singh of Badhni Kalan in Moga district, and seven to eight unidentified accomplices under Sections 103 (murder), 303(2) (theft), 126(2) (wrongful restraint), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), 190 (unlawful assembly) and 191(3) (rioting) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with Sections 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act.

Local AAP MLA from Jagraon, Sarvjit Kaur Manuke, said Gagandeep was known for encouraging underprivileged village youth to take up kabaddi and that tensions between the two groups had been brewing for some time.

Meanwhile, Ludhiana Rural SSP Ankur Gupta said that the postmortem had been conducted and the police were in touch with the family regarding the cremation. “A Maruti Suzuki Swift car used in the crime has been recovered. The accused Gurdeep Singh, who was arrested on Monday, was produced in court on Tuesday and has been sent to police custody for three days. More suspects are being rounded up,” he added.

In a related development, Ekam alleged that he had lodged a police complaint against Gursewak Singh after he attacked him in December last year, but no action was taken. “Timely police action could have saved Gagandeep’s life,” he added.

The SSP said the complaint had been resolved at the panchayat level and that he would look into the matter.