Rivalry over panchayat elections triggered double murder at Ludhiana wedding venue

LUDHIANA A day after a man and his nephew were shot dead by another guest at a wedding at Doraha town of Ludhiana district, police said an old rivalry over panchayat

LUDHIANA A day after a man and his nephew were shot dead by another guest at a wedding at Doraha town of Ludhiana district, police said an old rivalry over panchayat elections led to the incident.

Police at the marriage palace in Ludhiana after a guest shot dead two other guests on Wednesday night. (HT Photo)

Police said Jagjit Singh, 50, shot Balwant Singh, 50, twice in the stomach and his nephew Gurpreet Singh, 28, in the chest after an argument at Kashmir Palace, a wedding venue where they were all invited as guests.

Punjabi singer Babbu Mann was entertaining the guests when Gurpreet’s shoulder touched Jagjit, which led to an argument and then a scuffle. When Balwant intervened, Jagjit pulled out a pistol and opened fire on both of them.

Eyewitnesses said that other guests rushed to snatch the pistol from Jagjit but a bullet hit him in the arm during the melee. He was overpowered and rushed to hospital where his condition is stated to be stable.

The police said that Balwant’s brother, Gurjit Singh, and Jagjit are farmers and neighbours at Dhandra village and had been contesting panchayat elections against each other. Gurjit won the elections last time but this did not go down well with Jagjit. They were involved in a scuffle earlier too.

Gurpreet’s younger brother is settled in the US and he was also trying to go abroad, family sources said.