In a shocking daylight murder, Punjab’s Tarn Taran district witnessed the brutal killing of AAP sarpanch Harpinder Singh on Wednesday. The incident unfolded at Sidhu Farm House along the Bathinda-Tarn Taran National Highway during a lively wedding ceremony.
Harpinder Singh, the sarpanch from Thathian village, was attending the event when three unidentified assailants unleashed a barrage of bullets on him. He succumbed to his injuries on the spot. His cousin, Germanjit Singh, who tried to chase the attackers, was shot in the leg and is currently receiving treatment at a nearby hospital in critical condition.
Police rushed to the scene shortly after the gunfire echoed through the farm house. SSP Surinder Lamba confirmed that the attack occurred near Sarla Police Station. ‘Two unknown men targeted the sarpanch while he was at the marriage venue. He died en route to the hospital. Another individual pursuing the attackers sustained a leg injury,’ Lamba stated.
Preliminary investigations point towards personal enmity as the motive, with no extortion calls traced so far. Four special teams have been formed, and the SSP is personally supervising the probe. ‘We are treating this case with utmost seriousness and will ensure the culprits face justice,’ he assured.
This brazen killing comes soon after a similar assassination of another AAP sarpanch in Amritsar, raising alarms over targeted violence against local leaders in Punjab. Authorities have heightened security in the region as the hunt for the gunmen intensifies.