Amritsar, May 25 —Shiromani Akali Dal leader and Jandiala Guru Municipal Councilor Harjinder Singh, popularly known as Baman, was shot dead by motorcycle-borne assailants in Amritsar’s Chheharta area on Sunday evening, in what police believe was a targeted killing linked to longstanding enmity.
Singh had come to the area with his family to attend a function and was walking to a nearby eatery with relatives when two masked gunmen opened fire, leaving him fatally wounded. He succumbed to his injuries while being rushed to the hospital.
“This appears to be a planned attack, orchestrated by Kishan, a Dubai-based gangster who has over 15 cases pending against him,” said Harpal Singh, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP). “Several individuals have been named in the FIR, and we have launched a manhunt.”
According to Singh, those named include Kishan, Karan, Ghuddu, Goldy, and Raju. Kishan, police sources said, was once a close associate of the gangster Happy Jatt and fled to Dubai around eight months ago after being released on parole. He allegedly escaped using a forged passport.
Harjinder Singh had previously reported threats to his life. On May 12, unknown individuals fired outside his residence in Jandiala, although he was not home at the time. “We’re looking into all angles, including his recent confrontations,” the ADCP said.
Karamjit Singh, a local shopkeeper and eyewitness, recalled hearing gunshots and rushing out to find the councilor lying in a pool of blood. “Two men on a motorcycle sped away from the scene, their faces covered,” he said.
Vinod Kumar, Station House Officer (SHO) of Chheharta Police Station, said surveillance footage from the area is being reviewed to help identify the attackers.
Family members have accused local drug peddlers of orchestrating the attack in retaliation for Singh’s opposition to the narcotics trade. “He was raising his voice against them, and they had been issuing threats,” a relative claimed.
Investigations are ongoing.
