Batala: Unidentified assailants opened fire on Gurbindar Singh, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) youth president for the Fatehgarh Churian assembly constituency and sarpanch of Qadian Rajputan, in Punjab's Gurdaspur district on Tuesday evening, leaving him critically wounded.
Gurbindar Singh was about to step into his vehicle after visiting his uncle at his home in Qadian Rajputan, approximately 14 kilometers from Batala, when the attackers, carrying a box of sweets, fired three shots and fled, according to family members. His uncle, Mukhbain Singh, stated that two bullets struck Gurbindar in the legs.
Family members and villagers rushed Gurbindar to the civil hospital in Batala, from where he was referred to a hospital in Amritsar. Doctors have confirmed that he is now out of danger. Fatehgarh Churian Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Lalit Kumar said a case has been registered and an investigation is underway. Police are exploring multiple angles to determine the motive behind the attack.
Meanwhile, a social media post claiming responsibility for the shooting on behalf of a gangster group has surfaced online. The post reads: "...We, Aadesh Jamaraye and Nishan Jodian, take responsibility for the firing on the sarpanch. He caused harm to our brothers." Police stated that the authenticity of the post is still being verified.
This incident adds to a series of violent attacks in Punjab. Three sarpanches and an AAP functionary have been killed in the state since January. On January 4, Valtoha sarpanch Jarmal Singh was shot dead at a wedding in Amritsar. On February 6, AAP functionary Satwinderpal Singh was allegedly shot dead by two unidentified assailants in Jalandhar. Just 12 days later, on February 18, Tarn Taran village head Harbringer Singh was killed while dancing at a wedding. On March 6, sarpanch Harwinder Singh of Patto Hira Singh village was fatally attacked at his gym on the Baghapurana-Kotkapura road in Moga.
