Punjab: A drunk ex-serviceman shot his wife and son with his licensed gun in Buani village on Tuesday. His son was declared dead on arrival, while his injured wife has been admitted to a private hospital in Ludhiana. Doctors said her condition is stable. The suspect fled from the spot with his gun, following which Doraha police registered a case under Section 103 of BNS, 2023 and Section 27 of Arms Act, 1959. The suspect has been identified as Baljinder Singh. He took voluntary retirement from the Army seven years ago and returned to live with his mother, wife and two sons. Sources said he had problems in his marriage with his wife Balwinder Kaur and due to his drinking habit, he often quarreled with her over petty issues. Takwinder Singh, Balwinder Kaur’s father, alleged that Baljinder used to abuse his wife and sons Manpreet Singh (28) and Jagmeet Singh (23) in a drunken state. “He not only beat them but also terrorised them with his licensed weapon,” he said. “On June 3 too, he continued his antics but I never imagined it would end so tragically.”
According to Takwinder, his daughter called him for help as Baljinder was threatening the family in a drunken state. When he arrived, he tried to calm down the situation but soon left. After some time, Baljinder allegedly climbed up the stairs where his wife and son Jagmeet were sitting and opened fire on them. Jagmeet was shot in the chest and abdomen, while Balwinder was shot in the rear. “I pulled them down and took them to a hospital in Doraha,” Takwinder said. He said, “The doctors declared my grandson dead and referred my daughter to SPS Hospital, finally transferring her to Fortis Hospital, where she is undergoing treatment.” Speaking to this reporter, the grieving father lamented: “For more than 25 years my daughter and her sons abused him, which culminated in this tragedy. I pleaded with her countless times to leave him and return to her maternal home, but she refused. Baljinder is solely responsible for the incident, but her mother, Manjit Kaur, played a sinister role in their misery. Due to her interference, my grandson lost his life and my daughter had to struggle to survive.” Doraha SHO Akash Dutt said a case has been registered against Baljinder and raids are being conducted to nab him.
