Punjab crime: AAP sarpanch shot dead in broad daylight in Patti, aide injured
The victim's wife, Parveen Kumari, claimed that her family had been receiving threats for some time and that ₹50 lakh was being demanded from her husband as extortion.
PTC News Desk: Another Aam Aadmi Party sarpanch was shot dead in broad daylight in Punjab's Patti on Wednesday. According to preliminary information, three unidentified attackers opened fire on the sarpanch, killing him on the spot. His associate was also seriously injured in the attack and is currently undergoing treatment.
The deceased has been identified as Ashwani Kumar, the Aam Aadmi Party sarpanch of Toot village. He was travelling in an Innova towards the Toot grain market with his driver, son and accountant. When the vehicle reached near the village, unidentified men riding a motorcycle opened indiscriminate fire.
Ashwani Kumar sustained multiple bullet injuries and was taken to a private hospital in Patti, where doctors declared him dead. His associate, Chamkaur Singh, was also seriously injured and is undergoing treatment. The attackers fled the scene on their motorcycle.
Wife claims ₹50 lakh extortion demand
The victim's wife, Parveen Kumari, claimed that her family had been receiving threats for some time and that ₹50 lakh was being demanded from her husband as extortion.
She said the family had received several threats and was warned that they would be killed if the money was not paid. According to her, the threats were allegedly being issued by a gang.
Parveen said she had asked her husband about the threats, but he did not share details with her. She claimed that Ashwani Kumar was aware of the people who were threatening him.
Police have launched an investigation and are searching for the attackers. After examining CCTV footage, police released images of the suspected motorcycle-borne assailants and shared contact numbers for officials, appealing to the public to provide any information that could help identify them.
The shooting has created tension in the area.
Former sarpanch killed days earlier
The incident comes just days after former sarpanch Navtej Singh of Manewal village was shot dead in Ludhiana on Saturday.
Navtej Singh was returning home when two motorcycle-borne attackers allegedly stopped his Innova and opened at least 10 rounds of fire. The shooting was captured on the SUV's dashboard camera.
On the same day, Punjabi influencer and makeup artist Mad Sandhu was shot dead by two motorcycle-borne assailants in Amritsar. Sandhu was a member of the LGBTQ community. A social media account allegedly linked to a gang member later claimed responsibility for the killing.