How Punjab Sarpanch murder exposes Majha gangs, killings, police in deadly loop
India Today
With Harbinder Sandhu's murder being the third killing of a local leader in recent months, opposition parties have questioned the Aam Aadmi Party government's ability to control gang violence ahead of the upcoming state elections.
The killing of Sarpanch Harbinder Sandhu in Punjab’s Tarn Taran has once again pushed the state’s worsening gang rivalry into sharp focus, raising serious concerns over law and order ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections. Shot dead during a wedding function, Sandhu’s murder marks the third killing of a local leader in recent months, intensifying political criticism of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government and reviving questions about the state’s ability to curb organised crime.
Police sources told India Today, two unidentified assailants opened fire at Sidhu Farm, where Sandhu had gone to attend a wedding.
Investigators suspect the attackers used high-powered weapons, including an AK-series assault rifle and a 9mm pistol — a chilling reminder of the 2022 assassination of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala, in which similar firearms were used.
Sandhu succumbed to her injuries on the way to the hospital, while another man, Garman Singh, sustained a leg injury while attempting to chase the attackers.
The murder is being viewed against the backdrop of escalating gang rivalries in Punjab’s Majha belt.
In January, the Sarpanch of Valtoha in Tarn Taran was killed, followed by the murder of local leader Lucky Oberoi.
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With Harbinder Sandhu's murder being the third killing of a local leader in recent months, opposition parties have questioned the Aam Aadmi Party government's ability to control gang violence ahead of the upcoming state elections.
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