Congress sarpanch’s brother shot dead in Gurdaspur, police suspect personal rivalry

A 27-year-old man was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Punjab’s Gurdaspur district on Saturday evening, with police suspecting an old personal rivalry as a possible motive.

The victim was identified as Sukhraj Singh, alias Kaka, the younger brother of Padda village’s incumbent Congress sarpanch, Navdeep Singh.

Police registered a case based on the statement of the family, while teams began investigating the circumstances surrounding the killing. Senior police officer Ashok Kumar Sharma said the preliminary probe suggested that the murder could be linked to an old personal rivalry. He also said several criminal cases had been registered against Sukhraj Singh.

Shooting took place on village road

According to the family, Sukhraj had gone to a gurdwara to pay obeisance during a religious programme organised to mark the birth anniversary of Baba Sri Chand.

He was returning to his village at around 8 pm when unidentified men travelling in a Maruti Suzuki Swift car intercepted him near the village road and allegedly opened fire.

Sukhraj sustained multiple bullet injuries and died at the spot. Police teams reached the location after the shooting and recovered two empty cartridges from the scene.

A report published on Sunday said the police took the body into custody for post-mortem examination and began investigating different aspects of the case.

Family alleges earlier attack was not acted upon

Navdeep Singh said his brother had survived a life-threatening attack a few months ago in Shahpur Jajan village.

He alleged that no concrete action had been taken against those responsible for that earlier attack and claimed that the failure to act had contributed to Saturday’s killing.

The family has appealed to senior Punjab Police officials for justice.

Additional reporting on the earlier incident said Sukhraj had been attacked in Shahpur Jajan in March and suffered gunshot injuries before being taken to hospital. Police had then examined CCTV footage and conducted raids to trace the suspects.

A separate report on the latest killing said Navdeep told police that his brother had been returning on a motorcycle from the religious programme when a Swift car carrying several men arrived. It reported that three of the men opened fire. Police have not publicly confirmed those additional details.

Police probe personal rivalry angle

Ashok Kumar Sharma said a case had been registered on the basis of the family’s statement. Police are investigating the circumstances of the shooting and the identity of those involved.

The preliminary investigation has pointed towards an old personal rivalry, according to the police officer. The fact that several criminal cases were registered against Sukhraj is also being examined as part of the investigation.

Police recovered two empty cartridges from the spot, while the assailants fled after the shooting.

The family has urged senior Punjab Police officials to ensure that those responsible are identified and brought to justice.