Ludhiana finds itself in the grip of escalating gang violence, a grim reality starkly contrasting with police assertions. The recent wedding shootout that claimed two lives, described by Police Commissioner Swapan Sharma as a mere fracas involving local boys, is now revealed to involve individuals with extensive criminal histories, painting a picture of entrenched gang rivalries.
Criminal Records Tell a Different Story
The primary accused in the wedding shootout, Shubham Arora alias Shubham Mota, has a staggering 18 FIRs registered against him. His rivals, identified as Ankur, Rubal, and Jasvir Singh Jassa, also have multiple cases of scuffles and even murder attempts filed in their names, though their list is shorter than Arora's. This pattern of habitual offenders clashing has become a dangerous norm in the industrial city, with shootouts between rivals occurring with alarming frequency.
A Timeline of Terror: Recent Shootings Rock the City
The violence is not an isolated incident. On October 2, 20-year-old Monu Kumar was brutally shot dead while his family was performing a pooja in the Sherpur area. The assailant, Pawan Sherpuria, who had a prior clash with Monu, fired the first bullet into his back and then pumped two more into his body as he fell. Both the victim and the accused, aged between 20 and 24, had FIRs against them, pointing to an old rivalry as the motive.
Earlier, on August 23, notorious criminal Kartik Baggan, 24, was gunned down at Sunder Nagar Chowk, hit by four bullets. In a brazen display, US-based gangster Balwinder Singh alias Dony Bal and jailed gangster Kaushal Chaudhary claimed responsibility for the murder on the Instagram page of the Gopi Ghanshampur group. The post stated Baggan was punished for nurturing rivalry against their "brothers." Police later arrested three individuals—Amandeep Singh alias Sam, Gurvinder Singh alias Gauta, and Sahil—and recovered illegal weapons. The rivalry reportedly stemmed from a parking dispute where Baggan had thrashed a youngster.
In July, the streets of Sham Nagar witnessed another shooting where 24-year-old Rohit Kumar was shot in the chest at point-blank range. This case was intricately linked to the murder of Manav's father, Jatinder Jindi, years ago. Rohit and his aides allegedly tried to threaten Manav to stop his uncle, Kanwaljit Kumar, from testifying in court. The attack was found to be orchestrated by two jailed criminals, Darpan and Moni, highlighting how gang operations continue from behind bars.
Social Media Braggadocio and Police Challenges
A disturbing trend accompanying this violence is the use of social media by gangsters to flaunt their crimes and issue challenges. The Instagram claim for Baggan's murder underscores this new-age threat. While Police Commissioner Swapan Sharma denied the involvement of the Gopi Ghanshampur gang in that specific killing, the online posturing adds a layer of intimidation and notoriety. The police face the dual challenge of curbing physical violence on the streets and the digital propaganda that fuels these gang wars, with several prime suspects like Gurpreet Singh alias Vicky Nihang and Tarandeep Singh still evading arrest.
The situation in Ludhiana reveals a clear disconnect between official narratives and ground realities. As the city grapples with this cycle of revenge and violence, involving young men with existing police records, the need for a strategic crackdown on both the perpetrators and their networks has never been more urgent.
