Punjab Kabaddi Player Murder: Bishnoi Gang Admits Role, Warns Rivals on Social Media

Prominent kabaddi player Gurwinder Singh was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Punjab's Ludhiana district on November 4, 2025, marking the second such targeted killing of a player in the region within a week and intensifying fears over escalating gang violence infiltrating the sport. The 22-year-old, a resident of Manki village and known locally for his prowess in circle-style kabaddi as well as pigeon rearing, was ambushed late Monday evening near a culvert bridge in the Samrala block while chatting with two friends.

According to eyewitness accounts, four masked men on two motorcycles opened fire, striking Singh multiple times in the chest and abdomen; he succumbed to his injuries en route to a hospital in Chandigarh. His companion, Dharamveer Singh, sustained gunshot wounds to the leg and is receiving treatment, while the third friend escaped unharmed. Police have registered an FIR for murder and attempted murder against suspects Sandeep Singh, Teji of Chak Sarai, Karan of Madpur, and Simran alias Simmi of Balian village, all with prior criminal records tied to drug peddling and arms violations.

Hours after the attack, the notorious Lawrence Bishnoi gang swiftly claimed responsibility via a social media post purportedly from Anmol Bishnoi, the incarcerated brother of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, attributing the hit to operatives Karan Madhpur and Tej Chak under the direction of fugitives Hari Boxer and Arzoo Bishnoi. The menacing message warned the gang's "enemies" to "mend your ways or be ready for the next bullet to pierce your chest," framing the killing as retribution in an ongoing turf war.

This brazen claim has prompted a high-level probe by Ludhiana police, who suspect deep-seated rivalries between local factions, possibly exacerbated by Singh's alleged ties to a competing syndicate. Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu visited the grieving family, vowing swift justice and enhanced security for athletes, as the incident has sent shockwaves through Punjab's kabaddi community.

The murder of Gurwinder Singh underscores a disturbing pattern, as he becomes the 10th kabaddi player slain in Punjab over the past few years, with sources attributing the surge to the sport's lucrative underbelly intertwined with organised crime. Once a rural pastime celebrating athleticism and community, kabaddi has evolved into a multimillion-rupee industry fuelled by sponsorships, betting syndicates, and diaspora investments from Canada, the UK, and Australia, attracting over ₹100 crore annually in untraceable funds. However, this boom has drawn in drug cartels and gangsters, who launder narcotics profits through tournaments and exploit players as enforcers or proxies in feuds.

Investigations reveal instances of match-fixing, extortion rackets, and even arms smuggling masked as sports logistics, turning fields into battlegrounds for groups like the Bishnois and rivals such as the Kaushal Chaudhary or Bambiha gangs. Players like Singh, often from modest backgrounds, amass quick wealth but risk entanglement in these webs, leading to fatal vendettas.

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This tragedy echoes the October 31 killing of 26-year-old national-level kabaddi athlete Tejpal Singh in Jagraon, also in Ludhiana, where he was beaten and shot in the chest during a street altercation near the SSP office, possibly stemming from an old personal grudge. Unlike Gurwinder's case, no gang has claimed Tejpal's murder, but two suspects—Gagandeep Singh and Harpreet Singh, alias Honey—have been arrested, with police probing potential links to broader criminal networks. Tejpal's family initially withheld his last rites, demanding full accountability, but relented on November 5 after assurances of a third arrest.

Both incidents highlight systemic vulnerabilities in Punjab's sports ecosystem, where over 50 such targeted killings have rocked the state since 2022, often tied to the Lawrence Bishnoi syndicate's transnational operations from Canada and the UAE. Authorities have ramped up surveillance, including drone patrols and cyber monitoring of gang social media, but critics argue for deeper reforms like financial audits of leagues to sever crime's grip.

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