Punjab: Cong block chief dead in Moga, assailants on the run

A 45-year-old block president of the Congress was shot dead by two unidentified assailants at his residence at Dala village in Moga on Monday evening

Moga: A 45-year-old block president of the Congress was shot dead by two unidentified assailants at his residence at Dala village in Moga on Monday evening.

A 45-year-old block president of the Congress, Baljinder Singh Bali, was shot dead by two unidentified assailants at his residence at Dala village in Moga on Monday evening

The deceased, Baljinder Singh Bali, was party’s Ajitgarh block chief.

According to the police, Bali had called a barber at his residence and was getting his beard trimmed when he received a call. “As Bali was also a nambardar of the village, the caller asked for his signatures on some documents. The Congress leader went to the front gate of his house where the attackers were waiting for him. As soon as Bali opened the gate, one of the attackers opened fire at him from a pistol. The assailants then fled on a black Pulsar motorcycle, leaving the weapon behind,” said police.

The entire incident was captured on camera. The CCTV footage shows an assailant firing at Bali. The Congress leader was rushed to a hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead. Bali sustained a bullet injury on his chest and another in his stomach.

Moga SP (investigation) Ajay Raj Singh said the police have initiated a probe. “So far, we have got no leads, but we are looking into all angles. We are trying to identify the assailants and teams have been formed to trace them. The CCTV footage of the surrounding areas is also being examined,” he said. A murder case has been registered at the Mehnana police station in Moga.

In a Facebook post, the veracity of which HT couldn’t independently verify, Canada-based most-wanted gangster Arsh Dala, who also belongs to Dala village, took responsibility of Bali’s murder. “I have got Bali eliminated as he was responsible for keeping my mother in the custody of the crime investigation agency (CIA). He has also got my friends arrested. Killing him was my only purpose,” the post reads.