Panic spread due to firing outside the house of AAP leader in Punjab’s Phagwara.
Punjab: Police said that around 1:15 a.m. Thursday, two masked men opened fire outside the home of Daljit Singh Raju, a leader of the Phagwara unit of the Aam Aadmi Party, near Darvesh village on the Phagwara-Jandiala road.
No one was injured in the incident. Raju, who is the local coordinator for the ruling AAP’s anti-drug campaign, was at home with his wife and daughter when the shooters fired nearly two dozen bullets, sending panic through the neighborhood. The family was sleeping on the first floor and was awakened by the gunfire.
The gunfire, which damaged the glass wall on the first floor and shattered windows, was captured on closed-circuit TV cameras installed outside the house. The shooters arrived on a motorcycle, parked it near the main gate, and then approached the house on foot. Raju, who also runs an immigration business in Phagwara, said, “The shooters left a handwritten letter from the Kala Rana gang demanding ₹5 crore. I am providing all the details requested by the police for a thorough investigation.”
Phagwara Superintendent of Police Madhavi Sharma said: “We have collected all digital and technical evidence from the scene and have formed several teams for a detailed investigation. Forensic teams have gathered important clues.”
A case has been registered at the Satnampura police station under sections 308(5), 61(2), 324(4), 111 of the IPC and sections 25, 54, and 59 of the Arms Act. Senior Superintendent of Police Gaurav Toora said the police are investigating multiple angles, including extortion, gang rivalry, and targeted threats, and efforts are underway to identify and track down the accused.
Condemning the incident, Phagwara Congress MLA Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal posted on X: “Massive failure of law and order in Phagwara. Reports indicate that over 20 rounds of bullets were fired in a shocking incident, exposing a serious lack of public safety. When will the authorities step up to protect citizens? Immediate action against the culprits and strict policing is urgently needed.”
