Punjab Police announced a significant breakthrough on Monday in the high-profile murder of AAP sarpanch Jharmal Singh, who was gunned down in cold blood during a wedding ceremony in Amritsar on January 4. The victim, sarpanch of Valtoha village in Tarn Taran district, was attending the event when two assailants executed him at point-blank range, shocking attendees and sparking widespread outrage over law and order in the state.
The two main shooters, identified as Sukhraj Singh alias Ganga from Patti in Tarn Taran and Karamjit Singh from Gurdaspur district, were apprehended from Raipur in Chhattisgarh on Sunday. This operation involved close coordination between Punjab Police, local Raipur authorities, and central agencies. The suspects were produced before a court in Raipur, where transit remand was secured, and they are now en route to Amritsar for intensive interrogation.
In addition to the shooters, five other individuals forming the support and logistical network behind the crime have been arrested within Punjab. These arrests target those who allegedly provided assistance in planning, execution, and escape, highlighting a well-organized module involved in the targeted killing.
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CCTV footage from the wedding venue captured the horrifying sequence: the shooters entered unmasked, approached the sarpanch seated among guests, drew a firearm, and fired directly at his head before fleeing. Despite immediate medical efforts, Jharmal Singh succumbed to his injuries, leaving the AAP government facing intense criticism from opposition parties, including BJP calls for Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's resignation amid claims of deteriorating security.
The Punjab Police continue their investigation to uncover the motive and any higher-level involvement in this brazen act of violence that occurred in broad daylight at a public gathering. Authorities are probing whether the murder stemmed from personal enmity, political rivalry, land disputes, or gang-related scores, all of which have plagued parts of rural Punjab in recent years. Interrogations of the arrested accused are expected to reveal critical details about the conspiracy, including possible financiers, weapon suppliers, and the exact chain of command.
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