Two arrested for NRI murder, police blame property dispute

Canadian NRI Balkaran Singh Bhullar, who was shot dead by four car-borne assailants outside his farmhouse, was facing trial in a property dispute and also remained in liquor trade for the last five years.

The Fazilka district police on Saturday arrested two men and claimed to have thus cracked to case of murder of a Canadian NRI, Balkaran Singh Bhullar, who was shot on October 19 Diwali day in Balluana village near here.

Balkaran Singh Bhullar was shot on October 19 in Balluana village. (HT Representative)

Police said Bhullar, 57, who was shot dead by four car-borne assailants outside his farmhouse, was facing trial in a property dispute and also remained in liquor trade for the last five years.

In August, excise authorities closed nearly 50 liqour shops run by him over pending dues.

Owing to these matters, he had filed a security plea in the Punjab and Haryana high court and had got two police gunmen besides some private guards. On the day, while the other guards were on Diwali leave, he told the one on duty to stay at home too since he did not need him, said sources in the police.

On Saturday, police said they received a tip-off and arrested two men — one of them Kulbir Singh, who is a brother of Samarbir Singh who had reportedly lost a property case to Bhullar recently, and the other identified as Darshan Singh Lahoria.

In a press meet after the arrests, DIG Rajinder Singh and SSP Ketan Baliram Patil said Samarbir had lost a property case against Bhullar in the last week of September and, “to avenge it”, he conspired the murder.

“The two men have confessed to the murder over the dispute in which they lost the case involving 16 acres of land,” claimed the DIG. “A .315-bore country-made pistol and its cartridges were recovered from them,” he added.