Village Sarpanch Gunned Down in Daylight Attack at Private Gym in Moga
In a shocking incident of violence, a village sarpanch was brutally shot dead during a daylight attack at his private gym in Baghapurana town of Moga district on Friday morning, according to police reports. The victim, identified as Harwinder Singh alias Happy, aged 37, served as the sarpanch of Patto Hira Singh village and was targeted as he arrived at his fitness centre, 'Sujan Fitness Club', located on the Baghapurana-Kotkapura road.
Eyewitness Accounts and Police Investigation
Eyewitnesses described a harrowing scene where Singh had just stepped out of his Mahindra Thar vehicle around 11 am when three to four unidentified assailants in a Toyota Fortuner approached and opened fire. The attackers swiftly fled the scene, leaving Singh critically injured. He was rushed to the Baghapurana civil hospital but succumbed to his injuries shortly after arrival.
Moga Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ajay Gandhi stated that the attack appears to stem from personal rivalry. "We have identified the suspects and dispatched multiple teams to track them down," SSP Gandhi said. "Based on our initial investigation, this is a case of personal enmity. We have found no gang-related angle at this stage, though the victim was facing half a dozen criminal cases."
Background and Political Allegations
Sources revealed that Singh had been receiving threats for some time and had recently commissioned a bulletproof vehicle for protection. However, he was not using the armored vehicle at the time of the attack. Singh had been serving as sarpanch since winning as an independent candidate in September 2024.
The case quickly took a political turn as relatives of the deceased accused Baghapurana AAP MLA Amritpal Singh Sukhanand of threatening Singh. They alleged that the MLA had warned Singh not to intervene in a marital dispute involving a local woman. In protest, the family has refused to allow a post-mortem until the MLA is named in the First Information Report (FIR).
MLA Sukhanand firmly rejected these allegations, telling media outlets that he was only attempting to mediate a domestic dispute. "An AAP member's wife had been in a live-in relationship with Singh without divorcing her husband. I held meetings with the couple to resolve this. There were prior altercations and police complaints regarding the matter," the MLA explained. "If anyone alleges my involvement in threats, let them come forward with proof," he added.
Recent Context of Sarpanch Killings in Punjab
A murder case has been officially registered at the Baghapurana police station. This incident marks the third killing of a sarpanch in Punjab in recent months, highlighting a troubling pattern of violence against local leaders:
- On February 18, AAP sarpanch Harbarinder Singh (40) was shot dead at a wedding in Tarn Taran.
- Earlier, on January 5, another AAP sarpanch, Jarmal Singh, was killed during a wedding ceremony at a resort in Amritsar.
The investigation into Harwinder Singh's murder continues as authorities work to apprehend the suspects and clarify the motives behind this deadly attack.
