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NRI from US shot at in Amritsar, former wife’s kin under scanner
The victim has been battling for life in a hospital. His family suspects role of kin of his first wife who ended her life two years ago.
Two motorcycle-borne assailants barged into the house of a 43-year-old NRI, Sukhchain Singh, at Daburji village on the outskirts of Amritsar city and shot at him on Saturday morning, leaving him seriously injured.
Additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP) Harpal Singh said: “The incident took place at 7.15am. The victim was brushing his teeth when two men turned up at the gate and started enquiring about who had made the registration certificate (RC) of his Mercedes car parked in the courtyard. When Sukhchain asked them who they were, they pulled out two pistols and forcibly took him inside. After an argument, they fired three shots, two of which hit him. The assailants came with the aim to eliminate him, but one of their pistols malfunctioned.”
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Sukhchain was rushed to a hospital in a critical condition. “One bullet pierced into his head bypassing the brain and other hit his arm. He is not able to speak, but we have started the investigation,” the ADCP said.
The CCTV footage shows that the two men arrived on a motorcycle outside the palatial house of the NRI. The assailants are seen taking him inside forcibly at gunpoint. Other family members, including the NRI’s mother, wife and child, are seen crying and requesting the assailants not to shoot, but in vain.
The victim, who was based in the United States, had recently started a business in Amritsar. “He returned from the US on August 6 and wanted to spend time here by running a business,” said his wife.
ADCP Harpal Singh said the police were probing various angles. “We are trying to trace the assailants. The victim’s first wife committed suicide in 2022. Her family got an FIR registered against Sukhchain, his brother, sister and mother. Except the mother, all were held innocent as they were abroad. He was getting threats from his former in-laws. We are also taking this angle into consideration in the probe. The faces of assailants are clearly visible in the CCTV footage. We will trace them soon.”
Amritsar police commissioner Ranjit Singh Dhillon said an FIR has been registered against family members of Sukhchain’s first wife on the statement of his mother. “When Sukhchain was in the US, he received threat calls from his former in-laws’ family, who are also NRIs”, Dhillon said.
Addressing the media, special DGP (internal security) RN Dhoke, who reached Amritsar, said: “Both the shooters have been identified and a hunt has been launched to nab them. He said one of the accused belongs to Kapurthala and the other is from Jalandhar. The police have not revealed their names.
“Police teams have been sent to neighbouring districts of Jalandhar, Kapurthala and Tarn Taran. I have asked the Amritsar commissioner of police to issue a lookout circular against both,” Dhoke said.
While one shooter was out on bail from Kapurthala jail since September last year, the second was released on bail from same jail in February this year. Both were accompanied by another person, said Dhillon.
