Punjab: Abohar businessman shot dead, search on for 3 attackers

Textile firm owner Sanjay Verma, 54, had stepped out of his Hyundai i20 car outside his showroom at 10am when the assailants approached him on foot and opened fire before fleeing on a motorcycle.

Three unidentified assailants shot dead a businessman, Sanjay Verma, 54, outside his showroom in Abohar town of Punjab’s border district of Fazilka at 10am on Monday.

Police at the site where textile firm owner Sanjay Verma was shot dead in Abohar town of Fazilka district on Monday. (HT Photo)

Police said Verma, the owner of textile firm, had just stepped out of his Hyundai i20 car in the morning when the assailants approached him on foot and opened fire. Verma was rushed to a nearby hospital by shocked employees, but he succumbed to the injuries soon after.

Sanjay Verma, 54, who was shot dead outside his showroom in Abohar town on Monday. (HT file photo)

Police sources said that the attackers fired 8 to 10 rounds as four bullets had hit the car’s windshield and four cartridges were found outside the vehicle. The sources said that he had received an extortion call recently.

The police recovered an abandoned motorcycle from a narrow lane near the government hospital, which is suspected to have been used by the attackers. The police are now working to identify and apprehend the culprits based on CCTV footage and other forensic evidence.

Several suspects have been taken into custody for questioning.

The incident triggered outrage in the local business community. Local trade association president Suresh Satiija and businessman Anil Nagauri, along with prominent traders, visited the site and condemned the brutal act.

State BJP chief Sunil Jakhar, who is a former Abohar MLA, posted on X: “The broad daylight murder in Abohar is yet another eerie reminder that Punjab’s law and order has totally collapsed. Deafening silence of the AAP government after each such killing only emboldens the gangsters. CM Bhagwant Mann must tell Punjabis who is responsible for this blot on Punjab’s name. Wake up, it’s already too late.”

Condemning the murder, Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal said: “Law and order in Punjab has plummeted to its lowest point. The shocking daylight murder of Sanjay Verma, owner of The New Wear Well Tailors in Abohar, underscores the prevailing jungle raj. Businessmen and professionals, including doctors, artists and athletes, are facing grave threats from extortionists.”“I strongly condemn this brutal killing and offer heartfelt condolences to the Verma family. The perpetrators must be arrested immediately and brought to justice,” he said.

The traders of Abohar demanded increased police presence and swift justice for the victim’s family.