Hospital-bound youth gunned down as twin shootings rock Punjab

Two separate shooting incidents in Punjab’s Jalandhar and Amritsar districts claimed the lives of two young men, while another person sustained critical injuries, prompting police to launch investigations and form special teams to trace the assailants.

In Jalandhar, a 24-year-old man was shot dead and his companion critically injured after unidentified attackers allegedly opened fire on them while they were on their way to a hospital for treatment. Police said the incident appears to be linked to a dispute and assault that had taken place a day earlier between rival groups.

Advertisement

According to preliminary investigations, the victims were travelling for medical treatment after one of them had been injured in an altercation on June 11. Police suspect that members of the opposing group intercepted them en route and fired multiple rounds before fleeing the scene.

Bhargav Camp police station SHO Rajinder Singh said five to seven assailants were involved in the attack. He added that some suspects had already been identified and efforts were underway to arrest them at the earliest.

Eyewitness Rajveer alleged that he and Simranjit Singh had gone out for food on June 11 when they were attacked by a group led by a man identified as Gullu, leaving Simranjit injured. A complaint was subsequently lodged with the police. Simranjit, who worked as an electrician, was reportedly heading for treatment the following day when the attackers allegedly struck again.

Witnesses claimed the assailants were lying in wait and stopped the victims on the way before opening indiscriminate fire. Simranjit sustained gunshot injuries and was rushed to the Civil Hospital, where doctors declared him dead. Another youth, identified as Saurabh, was also targeted in the attack and remains under treatment in critical condition.

The death of Simranjit has left his family devastated. He is survived by his wife, Isha, and their one-and-a-half-year-old son. Family members said the couple had been married for four years, and Simranjit was the sole earning member of the household.

Police teams reached the spot soon after receiving information about the shooting and began collecting evidence. Senior officers also visited the scene as part of the investigation.

In a separate incident in Amritsar’s Jandiala Guru area, a 25-year-old man identified as Maninder Singh, also known as Manna, was shot dead late on Friday night. Police said the victim was returning home after closing his shop when three motorcycle-borne assailants allegedly ambushed him near his residence.

Investigators said the attackers fired seven to eight rounds, with three to four bullets reportedly striking the victim in the back. He collapsed on the spot and was being taken to the hospital when he succumbed to his injuries.

Maninder was married and is survived by his wife and a five-month-old daughter.

Police have taken possession of the body and sent it for post-mortem examination. CCTV footage from the surrounding area is being examined to identify those involved in the crime.

DCP Alam Vijay said special teams had been constituted to trace and arrest the attackers. He said the investigation was progressing on the basis of multiple leads and evidence collected from the scene.