Unidentified assailants killed a former kabaddi player in Ludhiana on Monday and later went on to openly announce the alleged murder before fleeing, the police said. The shocking incident marks the third such killing in Punjab in the last three days.
The incident took place in Manuke village. The victim, Gagandeep Singh alias Gagna, 36, was at the Dana Mandi along with his friend Ekam when attackers arrived on motorbikes and opened fire at him. After killing him, the assailants dumped his body in nearby fields, The Indian Express reported citing police officials.
Who Was Gagandeep Singh?
Gagandeep Singh alias Gagna was a former kabaddi player from Manuke village. While he had played kabaddi earlier, he was currently working as a labourer at a rice sheller to support his family.
According to his family, he was known in the village for encouraging underprivileged youth to take up kabaddi.
Police confirm multiple bullet injuries, one arrest
Ludhiana Rural SSP Ankur Gupta told IE that Gagandeep suffered at least three bullet injuries. He added that one of the five accused named by the family has been arrested so far.
Gagandeep’s father, Gurdeep Singh Bagga, 60, told the news outlet that after killing his son, the attackers came into the village and openly declared the crime. “Some of our family members were standing outside in the street when the assailants came and announced and said ‘tuhada banda maar ta, chak lo jaake’ (we have killed your boy, go and pick up his body). This is nothing but lawlessness,” IE quoted Bagga as saying.
He added that his son was a former kabaddi player but was currently working as a labourer at a rice sheller. “The accused had a rivalry with my son’s friend Ekam. My son was trying to mediate between Ekam and the assailants but they shot him dead,” the father said.
Wife recalls earlier attack on Ekam
Gagandeep’s wife, Navpreet Kaur, said that her husband and Ekam used to play kabaddi together but the attackers opposed it. “On December 31, the accused had attacked Ekam with swords. Today, they called more men and shot my husband dead,” she told IE.
Ludhiana range DIG Satinder Singh, who visited the spot, said the incident was linked to a village-level rivalry. He added that “it was a village-level rivalry” and that “no issue related to kabaddi has surfaced so far.” The main accused has been identified as Gursewak Singh alias Motu.
Explaining the sequence of events, the DIG said, “Both groups first had a petty clash due to the village-level rivalry in the morning. Later in the afternoon, Gursewak Singh alias Motu returned with several accomplices and opened fire. Both Gagandeep and Gursewak are from the same village. We have already arrested one of the accused named by the family and the rest will be arrested soon. Prima facie, the victim sustained three bullet injuries.”
Victim and main accused had criminal records
SSP Gupta said both Gagandeep and the main accused have criminal records. “We have recorded the statement of the victim’s family and the FIR for murder is being registered at Hathur police station against all the accused named by the family,” he told IE.
MLA Sarvjit Kaur Manuke told The Indian Express that Gagandeep actively encouraged underprivileged youth in the village to take up kabaddi. “The accused were targeting Ekam but Gagandeep stood in his favour due to which they shot him dead. Gagandeep is survived by three children. What was their fault? The situation is very bad. Our Punjabi youths have become directionless. Nothing comes out of such hooliganism except bodies. A family has lost its breadwinning son. I have told the SSP that such hooliganism won’t be tolerated anymore,” she said.