AAP leader Lucky Oberoi shot dead in Jalandhar; Sukhbir Badal questions AAP’s zero fear governance model
Lucky Oberoi was hit by multiple bullets, five to six in the chest and one in the face/head, causing him to collapse on the driver’s seat
PTC Web Desk: In a shocking incident that has raised serious questions about law and order in Punjab, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Lucky Oberoi was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Jalandhar’s posh Model Town area on Friday morning. Oberoi, 52, was the AAP in-charge of the Jalandhar Cantt Assembly constituency.
According to the police, the attack took place around 7.15 am when Lucky Oberoi had come to a local gurdwara in Model Town to offer prayers, a routine he followed regularly. As he stepped out of the gurdwara and was about to sit in his Thar SUV to return home, two attackers on a scooter (Activa) opened indiscriminate fire at him.
Eyewitness accounts and preliminary investigation suggest that 8 to 9 rounds were fired, shattering the vehicle’s windows. Oberoi was hit by multiple bullets, five to six in the chest and one in the face/head, causing him to collapse on the driver’s seat. The attackers fled the spot immediately after the firing.
He was taken in a critical condition to a private hospital in Model Town, where doctors declared him dead. In disbelief, the family then took him to Shri Ram Hospital, but doctors there also confirmed that he had already succumbed to his injuries.
Confirming the incident, ADCP Jayant Puri said the entire area was immediately sealed after the attack. Police teams have been deployed at all major checkpoints, and alerts have been issued across the district.
“CCTV footage from the gurdwara and nearby high-tech surveillance cameras is being examined. Raids are being conducted at multiple locations to trace the attackers,” the ADCP said, adding that the police suspect a targeted killing.
The murder has triggered a sharp political reaction in Punjab. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the Punjab DGP, alleging a complete collapse of law and order.
In a strongly worded statement, Sukhbir Singh Badal said under the AAP’s “zero fear” governance model, blood is flowing freely in Punjab. “If even AAP leaders are not safe in their own government, it clearly shows this is anarchy, not governance,” he said, adding that the Chief Minister was “not fit to remain in office even for a single day.”
Lucky Oberoi, whose real name was Satindar Pal Singh Jogi, was a prominent local face of the AAP in Jalandhar Cantt. He is survived by his wife, two daughters, a son, his mother, and two brothers. His wife has also contested the municipal corporation elections in the past.
Police officials said multiple angles are being examined, including personal rivalry and political enmity. No arrests have been made so far, and the investigation is ongoing.