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Ludhiana: 11 booked for shooting at 24-yr-old property dealer
The police have identified one of the accused as Anmol Gaba, a realtor from Karamsar Colony, Tibba Road, and booked him along with ten unidentified accomplices
Like a scene straight out of a Bollywood thriller, a group of armed assailants chased a man down the busy Chandigarh Road late Sunday night and opened fire in a daring murder attempt. However, the bullets missed the target. The attackers managed to flee as locals rushed to the spot, while the Division Number 7 police launched an immediate investigation.
This shocking incident marks the 13th gun-related attack reported in Ludhiana in the past one and a half month, underscoring a disturbing surge in gun culture and street violence that has gripped the city.
According to police, the victim, 24-year-old Nihal Rajput, a property dealer from Guru Arjun Dev Nagar, was targeted near Samrala Chowk after a minor altercation escalated out of control. The attackers, armed and aggressive, fired two gunshots, narrowly missing him.
The police have identified one of the accused as Anmol Gaba, a realtor from Karamsar Colony, Tibba Road, and booked him along with ten unidentified accomplices. Both the accused and the victim are property dealers, but the initial probe suggests they did not know each other.
Rajput, recalling the terrifying sequence, said, “I had gone to a Dhaba near Samrala Chowk with my friend Ankush around 1.30 am to have parathas. A few minutes later, two SUVs, including a Hyundai Creta, arrived. The men inside began arguing with Ankush over parking. Suddenly, they turned towards me, pulled out a gun, and started chasing me. One of them fired the bullet which just missed me. I ran for my life.”
Locals who gathered at the scene forced the shooters to flee, saving what could have been a deadly midnight execution.
Sub-inspector Sukhwinder Singh, the investigating officer from Division Number 7 police station, said that police teams reached the spot soon after the incident and recovered a .45 bore bullet shell. “Our initial investigation indicates that neither the victim nor the accused were acquainted. One of the accused, Anmol Gaba, has been identified and raids are underway to arrest him,” he added.
What’s more alarming is that this is the 13th gun-related incident in just six weeks — a grim reminder of the rising gun culture and lawlessness in Ludhiana. From property feuds to road rage, guns have become the new language of intimidation in the city.
A senior police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, admitted, “People are brandishing weapons like fashion accessories. Every argument, every dispute — someone’s pulling a gun. This isn’t just about crime anymore; it’s a cultural crisis.”
13th gun-related incident in six weeks
Oct 11: At least five guests suffered injuries after two groups indulged in a violent scuffle over recording a video of a group puffing hookah in a wedding in Tibba. One of the victims suffered bullet injuries while the rest suffered injuries inflicted by sharp-edged weapons.
A violent clash turned into a shootout in Sherpur, leaving an ice seller injured by a bullet and his friend badly beaten.
Oct 5: Two unidentified bike-borne assailants opened fire on a police team near Lalton village on Pakhowal Road, injuring a civilian who had stepped in to help the police. He suffered a bullet injury in the thigh.
Oct 2: A 20-year-old man was shot dead by his rivals during a clash that broke out while his family was performing a pooja. Main accused was identified as Pawan Sherpuria and his accomplices, who are absconding.
A 19-year-old salon owner was shot dead by his neighbour inside his shop in Jamalpur after he refused to give the accused his food tiffin.
Sept 25: A regional manager of a private bank narrowly escaped death after being shot at by unidentified assailants outside his branch in Feroze Gandhi Market.
Sept 22: Three unidentified assailants killed the brother of a district-level Congress leader following a dispute over ₹120 in Sahnewal.
Sept 20: Five car-borne armed assailants fired at the main gate of a senior Aam Aadmi Party leader’s house following an old rivalry. They also barged in the house and set his car on fire.
Sept 18: An 18-year-old man from Fauji Colony sustained a bullet injury on his back, though police have denied any firing incident in the area. The victim is currently undergoing treatment at CMC Hospital.
Sept 12: Relatives of former MLA and Congress leader Simarjeet Singh Bains opened fire targeting his SUV amid a family feud. Two days later, Dehlon police lodged an FIR.
Aug 30: Moti Nagar police arrested a man and his father, who own a fastener factory in Phase-4 of the Focal Point industrial area, for opening fire to threaten another factory owner.
Aug 26: An unidentified SUV occupant opened fire at the parked car of a lawyer outside his house in Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar.
Aug 23: Local offender Kartik Baggan and his friend were shot at near Sundar Nagar. While Baggan died at the spot, his friend survived.
