SANGRUR, Aug 9 — Police have arrested seven people in connection with a firing incident at a house in Hassanpur village, traced to a personal dispute between two Melbourne-based residents, officials said Friday.
Senior Superintendent of Police Sartaj Singh Chahal said three country-made pistols, several magazines, a Mahindra Bolero SUV, and a motorcycle used in the crime have been seized. “The motive behind the attack was a prior dispute between the two NRIs. This personal grudge was the reason Avreet orchestrated the firing incident,” Chahal said.
According to police, the shooting occurred between 1:30 a.m. and 2 a.m. on the intervening night of Aug. 4 and 5, when armed assailants opened fire on a house in Mamgarh, Malerkotla district. Complainant Kulwinder Singh of Hassanpur said his wife, Kulwinder Kaur, and father, Baldev Singh, were inside the home at the time. No injuries were reported.
Kulwinder alleged that Harmanpreet Singh of Mulowal village was involved, leading to a case registered on Aug. 5 under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Arms Act. Harmanpreet was arrested the next day.
Police said Harmanpreet’s interrogation led to the arrest of three alleged accomplices — Tarnveer Singh, Natish Bhatti, and Gurnoor Singh — from whom two pistols, magazines, and a motorcycle were recovered. The suspects allegedly told investigators they received the weapons and a Bolero SUV from Navjot Singh, Harman Singh, and Amrinder Singh in Pedhni village.
On Aug. 8, officers arrested the three alleged suppliers, recovering a pistol from Navjot Singh and the Bolero from Amrinder Singh.
Chahal said the incident was orchestrated by Avreet Singh, a Melbourne resident, who promised Harmanpreet Singh a substantial sum to assist the three accomplices in the attack against Arshdeep Singh Sidhu, another Melbourne resident. “We are investigating all possible angles and ensuring such cross-border disputes do not spill into local violence,” he said.
