In a shocking incident late Thursday night, gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria’s mother and cousin were shot dead by two motorcycle-borne assailants near Batala.
According to police sources, Bhagwanpuria’s mother and a former sarpanch of their native village Bhagwanpur Harjit Kaur, and her nephew Karanveer Singh had just gotten into their SUV outside their home on the Batala-Qadian road when two individuals on a motorcycle approached and opened fire at them.
The attackers came close to the vehicle and reportedly fired around 15 rounds before fleeing the area.
The brutal attack was captured in CCTV cameras in the area, and the video has since gone viral, sparking public outrage, especially as the attack took place in one of the city’s busiest stretches.
The police have launched a massive manhunt to trace and arrest the attackers. A police control room was alerted immediately as bystanders rushed the two injured victims to the Civil Hospital. Karanveer succumbed to his injuries on the way, while Harjit Kaur, who was referred to a hospital in Amritsar by doctors but she also died on the way.
Hours after the shooting, a social media post claiming responsibility for the attack was shared by the Davinder Bambiha gang. According to police sources, the gang is being operated by more than half a dozen of Bambiha’s associates and friends, some based overseas while some currently lodged in Punjab’s jails, who actively manage and update the gang’s activities on social media.
Members of the Bambiha gang claimed they carried out the shooting as revenge for the killing of Gurpreet Singh, alias Gora Bariyar. He was shot dead in May in a shootout near a petrol pump on the Ghuman–Sri Hargobindpur road, allegedly by members of the Bhagwanpuria gang.
Who is Jaggu Bhagwanpuri
Jaggu Bhagwanpuria is a well-known gangster in the region, notorious for running a syndicate involved in extortion and targeted killings. In recent months, a large number of extortion calls made to local industrialists are believed to have originated from his gang.
Speaking on the incident, SSP Suhail Qasim Mir said the police worked through the night to investigate the double murder and are making every effort to identify and arrest those involved.
“We have formed several teams and have stumbled upon certain clues in the course of our investigation. We hope to nab the accused soon,” he said.
An FIR has been registered at the Civil Lines police station, and the police have gathered CCTV footage from multiple cameras installed along the Batala-Qadian road as part of their investigation.
“We are also looking into the motive of the crime,” said the SSP.
If rumors to be believed, Karanveer, known to be close to the Bhagwanpuria family, could have been the assailants' primary target, with Harjit Kaur possibly being caught in the crossfire. The police are also exploring this angle also.
Sources indicate that the investigation has made significant progress as the police have narrowed down a few locations where the attackers are believed to be hiding.
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