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NRI shot at in Amritsar, family of ex-wife under lens
A 43-year-old NRI from the US was shot by two assailants in Amritsar. His family suspects his former wife's relatives. Police are investigating.
A 43-year-old non-resident Indian (NRI), who recently returned from the United States, was shot at by two unidentified assailants at his residence in Daburji area of Amritsar in Punjab, police said on Saturday, adding that the victim’s family has alleged the involvement of his former wife’s relatives in the attack.
According to police, the incident took place early on Saturday when two armed men entered victim Sukhchain Singh’s residence and fired at him from close range even as his wife and child pleaded for his life.
“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,” additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP) Harpal Singh said.
He added: “Singh is currently in a critical condition. Doctors say that while one bullet pierced into his head, the other hit his arm. He is not able to speak, but we have started the investigation.”
CCTV footage of the incident showed armed assailants fleeing the spot after their pistols jammed.
According to Singh’s wife, he resides in the United States and returned to Amritsar recently to oversee a new business. “He returned from the US on August 6 and wanted to spend time here by running a business. But nobody is safe here even at home,” she said.
ADCP Harpal Singh said the victim’s family has alleged the involvement of his former wife’s family in the attack. “We are trying to trace the assailants. The victim’s first wife died by suicide in 2022, following which her family lodged a complaint against Singh, his brother, sister and mother. Except Singh’s 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 also visited the spot. “An FIR has been registered against family members of Singh’s first wife on the statement of his mother. We are investigating the matter.”
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal said the attacks in Amritsar on two consecutive days shows the deterioration of the law and order situation in Punjab. “Punjabis are not safe even at home. Chief minister Bhagwant Mann should quit on moral grounds,” he said.
BJP leader and former US ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu said, “Fear of the law is vanishing in Punjab with shootings, ransom calls and robberies becoming the new normal. Our CM Bhagwant Mann, who used bulletproof glass for his Independence Day speech, is busy campaigning in Haryana and touring Mumbai.”
