A 38-year-old man was shot dead by unidentified people early Saturday at Bhinder Kalan village in Moga district of Punjab, which the locals said was the result of village-level political rivalry. The deceased was a Congress worker and also a labour union leader at a nearby Nestle plant where he worked, locals said.
Police identified the victim as Umarseer Singh, resident of Bhinder Khurd village. He was on way to work in his car when killed around 6.40am. Seven people, including Bhinder Khurd sarpanch Inderpal Singh who owes allegiance to the AAP, have been booked for the murder.
Umarseer’s younger brother Gurwinder Singh in his police complaint said AAP sarpanch Inderpal had threatened Umarseer after their relative Veerpal Kaur didn’t withdraw her candidature in the recently held block samiti polls and ultimately won on a Congress ticket.
Dharamkot DSP Jaswarinder Singh said the assailants who were travelling in a black car fired around 15 bullets.
Umarseer’s elder brother Jasvir Singh said: “My brother had received many threats during the block samiti polls… but he refused to bow to the pressure of the ruling party. The Congress candidate he backed eventually won… This is nothing but jungle raj,” he said.
Umarseer’s family protested outside Dharamkot police station with his body, demanding immediate arrest of all the accused.
15 rounds were fired by unidentified assailants who arrived in a car. (Express photo)
Congress leader and former Dharamkot MLA Sukhjeet Singh Kaka Lohgarh joined the protest. “CM Bhagwant Mann should resign. He has failed in running the government. The police reached the spot very late,” he said, adding, Umarseer was a dedicated Congress worker. “We will continue to fight and protest until all the accused are held. There’s no rule of law left under the AAP government in Punjab,” he said.
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The DSP said seven people have been booked on the basis of the statements of the victim’s family member. “It is a matter of old rivalry. In 2017, Umarseer was booked… we are probing the matter,” the police officer said.
According to the FIR, the victim’s younger brother Gurwinder identified two of the attackers as Manpreet Singh alias Mannu Bughipuriya and Bhinda Singh, both of Bhinder Khurd. He also alleged that his brother’s recce was done by one Balkar Singh alias Pappu of Bhinder Khurd.
Umarseer’s family protested outside Dharamkot police station with his body, demanding the immediate arrest of all the accused.
(Express Photo)
Those named in the FIR are: Bhinder Khurd sarpanch Inderpal Singh; Govinda of Bhinder Kalan; Manpreet Singh alias Mani and Gagandeep Singh alias Laden (both natives of Bhinder Khurd but currently believed to be in the US); Balkar Singh alias Pappu, Manpreet Singh alias Mannu Bughipuriya, and Bhinda Singh, all three of Bhinder Khurd; and two unidentified persons.
The FIR has been registered under sections 103 (murder), 61 (2) (criminal conspiracy), 324 (4) (mischief causing financial loss) of the BNS, and 25 of the Arms Act.
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The deceased is survived by mother, wife and two children aged 15 (son) and 8 (daughter).
Dharamkot MLA (AAP) Devinderjeet Singh Laddi Dhos said: “The murder has nothing to do with AAP vs Congress political rivalry. It is in fact Congress vs Congress rivalry that has led to this incident and AAP has nothing to do with it. The local gangster Mani from Bhinder Khurd village has already taken the responsibility for the killing. He is currently hiding in Canada or the US. Mani is associated with the Congress and he had an old rivalry with the deceased. Inderpal Singh is current sarpanch of the village and associated with AAP. His role, if any, should be probed by police in an unbiased manner.”
