The murder of gangster Kartik Baggan has snowballed into a law-and-order flashpoint in the city. His family and members of the Valmiki community have warned the police to arrest his assailants within 24 hours—or face a complete Ludhiana bandh on Friday, including the closure of government offices.
Baggan, who faced four criminal cases and was out on bail, was shot dead Saturday night at Sunder Nagar chowk. Four bullets were pumped into him, killing him on the spot. On Wednesday, his family refused to allow a post-mortem, demanding immediate arrests.
The Valmiki community has formed a five-member committee, including AAP leader Vijay Danav, Ashwani Sahota, Naresh Dhingan, Nand Kishor, and Balwinder Bitta, to lead talks with police. “The deadline is clear—if the accused are not caught by Thursday, Ludhiana will be shut down on Friday. Not even the Police Commissioner’s office will be allowed to open,” declared Vicky Sahota.
Meanwhile, the Gopi Ghanshampuria gang has publicly claimed responsibility via Instagram, citing old enmity and abusive phone calls from Baggan. Police are also probing whether a recent clash—where Baggan allegedly thrashed a youth from Amarpura—sparked the murder.
ADCP Devinder Chaudhary, in charge of the north sub-division, confirmed that the accused have been identified and raids are underway. “We are hot on their heels,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}ADCP Devinder Chaudhary, in charge of the north sub-division, confirmed that the accused have been identified and raids are underway. “We are hot on their heels,” he said.
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