The new year has begun on a violent note for Punjab, with at least four brazen shootings recorded in the first seven days of 2025. The Bhagwant Mann-led state government, which also holds the home portfolio, is facing mounting pressure from the Opposition as police scramble to check the wave of targeted killings, with the main shooters in several cases still at large.
A String of Targeted Attacks
The recent spate of violence includes several high-profile murders. On Sunday, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) sarpanch Jarmal Singh was shot dead in front of a wedding crowd in Amritsar. The very next day, Monday, saw the gunning down of former kabaddi player Gagandeep Singh in Mohali. This followed the killing of a Congress worker at Bhinder Kalan in Moga on Saturday, December 31. In a separate case in Kapurthala, a woman estranged from her Canada-based husband was murdered by assailants who forced their way into her home.
These four incidents between December 31 and January 7 have sent shockwaves across the state. In response to the sarpanch's killing, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann reportedly called Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav to demand immediate action. By Tuesday, police claimed to have killed an alleged accomplice, Harnur alias Noor, in an encounter in Tarn Taran district. Police linked Noor to the Dony Bal-Prabh Dasuwal gang, which claimed responsibility for the sarpanch's murder, and to plotting another murder.
Unresolved Cases and a Pattern of 'Encounters'
Beyond the new year's violence, at least two major unsolved cases from 2025 continue to haunt the police force. In July 2025, prominent Abohar businessman Sanjay Verma, known as Punjab's 'Kurta-Pajama King', was shot dead outside his showroom by three masked assailants. Gangster Aarzoo Bishnoi, an associate of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, claimed responsibility, citing a refused "demand." While police arrested several accomplices, the three main shooters are believed to have fled to Nepal.
Similarly, the murder of kabaddi promoter Kunwar Digvijay Singh alias Rana Balachauria during a tournament in Mohali on December 15 remains unsolved. The Bambiha-Dony Bal gang claimed responsibility on social media, calling it revenge for singer Sidhu Moosewala's 2022 murder. The named shooters, "Makhan Amritsar" and "Defaulter Karan," are still absconding.
A notable pattern has emerged where such shootings are followed by police "encounter" killings of alleged accomplices. In the Verma case, two arrested accomplices were killed in an encounter the next day. In the Balachauria case, an accused, Harpinder Singh alias Middi, was killed in an encounter in Lalru on December 17. Police also arrested alleged mastermind Aishdeep Singh from Delhi's airport.
Political Heat and Official Statistics
The opposition has seized upon the incidents to attack the AAP government. Congress leader and Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa stated the killings reflect an atmosphere of organised crime and demanded the government accept moral responsibility. Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal said the incidents show "escalating gangster audacity."
In defense, the police have cited official data showing a fall in major crimes in 2025 compared to 2024. DGP Yadav shared statistics indicating an 8.7% drop in murders (from 745 to 680), a 10.6% fall in kidnappings, and significant reductions in snatching and thefts. The data also highlighted the busting of 416 gangster modules and the arrest of 992 members.
However, the names of foreign-based gangsters like Dony Bal and Prabh Dasuwal (reportedly in Portugal), along with Lawrence Bishnoi, Goldy Brar, and others, continue to surface in connection with these brazen attacks, underscoring the complex challenge facing Punjab's law enforcement.
