SUV-borne assailants shoot 2 dead in Moga

The deceased were identified as Gagan Jindal, 35, and his cousin Sahil Jindal, 40. Two of the three injured were identified as Raghav and Somnath alias Gora

Two persons were killed while three others sustained injuries when unidentified persons opened fire at them in Moga district, police said on Monday.

Police arrested five people based on the victims’ families’ complaint, but the attackers are yet to be caught. (HT FILE)

The assailants arrived in a black SUV around 7 pm on Sunday and fired multiple shots at the victims. The police suspect this could be a case of old enmity between the two sides.

The deceased were identified as Gagan Jindal, 35, and his cousin Sahil Jindal, 40. Two of the three injured were identified as Raghav and Somnath alias Gora. They are undergoing treatment at a local hospital.

The double murders drew sharp criticism from Opposition parties who alleged that law and order has “completely collapsed” under the AAP government in the state.

Police arrested five people based on the victims’ families’ complaint, but the attackers are yet to be caught.

Talking to the media in Patiala, chief minister Bhagwant Mann said people involved in the firing will get exemplary punishment. Director general of police Gaurav Yadav inspected the crime scene. “Sahil Jindal was playing cards with his 4-5 friends when some unidentified persons came in a car and opened fire at them. Five of them sustained bullet injuries, and of them, Sahil and Gagan succumbed to their injuries,” the DGP told reporters in Moga. Police recovered six cartridges of .30 bore and 9 mm, he said, adding that a forensic team also examined the spot.

Police registered an FIR under relevant sections, including 103 (murder) and 109 (attempt to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Arms Act at Police Station City South Moga.

The DGP said police are examining the CCTV footage, and that the assailants and their supporters in the crime will be nabbed. “We are conducting an investigation in a scientific and professional manner,” he said.

Regarding the motive, the DGP said preliminary investigation suggested an old enmity but “all angles” are being explored.

Moga senior superintendent of police (SSP) Sartaj Singh Chahal said teams are tracing the shooters, suspected to be at least four. “Technical data, including call detail records, is also being examined,” he added.

Oppn corners AAP govt over law & order

Punjab BJP chief Kewal Singh Dhillon said the Moga firing incident is a proof of the “complete failure” of the state government.

“The situation in Punjab today is such that people have begun to fear even stepping out of their homes. Mothers are anxious about sending their children outside, traders are apprehensive about opening their shops, and ordinary Punjabis feel unsafe in their own state,” alleged Dhillon.

“On the other hand, gangsters are emboldened and their morale is at an all-time high. They fear neither the law, nor the police, nor the government. An atmosphere of fear and terror has gripped the entire state,” he said.

Senior Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa too slammed the AAP government “Punjab has a non-functioning CM and home minister. Under the Mann regime, Punjabis and their families are losing their loved ones to crime,” Bajwa, who is also leader of Opposition in the state assembly, said in a post on X