A 27-year-old man was kidnapped and assaulted and later shot dead in Punjab’s Hoshiarpur district in a shocking case of a rivalry between two people, police said yesterday. The victim, Manjeet Singh alias Gani, 27, was kidnapped in broad daylight after his motorcycle was rammed by an SUV; his body was found near a government school and shot to death with multiple injuries and gunshot wounds.
Police have registered a case against two named accused and four unidentified persons and raids are on to arrest them.
Motorcycle intercepted, victim allegedly abducted.
The incident took place on Thursday morning when Manjeet Singh, a resident of Bhawanipur village, returned home on a motorcycle with his friend Suraj Kumar after visiting Jhungian Adda.
As they were going to a petrol pump in Jhonowal, an SUV intercepted their motorcycle and deliberately rammed into it, causing them to stop.
Police said that Rajan Singh alias Raja, from Achalpur village, and Simranjit Singh alias Fauji of Bhawanipur village, along with four unidentified men, got out of the SUV and assaulted Manjeet before forcing him into the vehicle.
The accused then fled towards Binewal village, leaving Suraj Kumar behind.
Body found with gunshot injuries
One hour later Manjeet was found unconscious near a government school on Binewal Road. He had suffered multiple injuries — gunshot wounds to both legs, the police said.
He was immediately rushed to the Civil Hospital in Garhshankar, where doctors declared him brought dead.
Investigators are now scrambling to figure out the exact sequence of events that led to his death and whether the victim was tortured before he was shot.
Old enmity suspected as motive
Station House Officer (SHO) Inspector Gagandeep Singh of Garhshankar Police Station said the preliminary investigation points towards an old rivalry between the victim and the accused as the likely motive behind the murder.
Although police are not quite sure what the dispute is, they have said it was possible that it was previous animosity that led to this attack.
The victim’s history and past are also being investigated to determine if the attack was premeditated, investigators said.
Police register case against six
Based on the complaint and preliminary investigation, police have registered a case against Rajan Singh alias Raja, Simranjit Singh alias Fauji and four unidentified accomplices under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Arms Act.
Following the attack, officers recovered a crucial piece of evidence after the SUV’s registration plate reportedly broke off and fell at the scene during the attack. This could help investigators trace the vehicle and strengthen the prosecution’s case, they say, and could help in investigating the case.
Police have conducted several raids to catch the suspects who are still absconding.
Investigation underway
As police gathered CCTV footage of nearby areas, eyewitness accounts and forensic evidence in order to reconstruct the events leading up to the murder, they also questioned people who they believe knew the victim and the accused to find out if anyone else was involved in planning the crime.
The killing has worried residents of the area because of the brazen manner in which the alleged kidnapping and murder were carried out in public.
The accused is still at large, and more arrests are expected as the investigation continues, police say. Police are also asking anyone who knows anything about the incident to come forward and assist in the investigation.
