Ludhiana gurdwara firing: Key shooter arrested, manhunt for second accused underway
Preliminary investigation and questioning indicate that threats had been made to blackmail Kulwant Singh, the gurdwara’s head sewadar.
PTC News Desk: Ludhiana Rural Police have arrested the alleged main shooter in connection with the firing at Gurdwara Manji Sahib in Rajoana Kalan village. The accused was identified as Raj Singh alias Raju, a resident of Noorpur Machhiwara in Ferozepur district.
Police said they identified and apprehended him after examining CCTV footage along nearly 200 kilometres of the suspected route and using technical and human intelligence. They are now searching for the second shooter.
SSP Dr Ankur Gupta said that at around 3:10 am on October 28, two masked men arrived at the gurdwara on a motorcycle, opened fire and fled. A case was registered at Sadar Sudhar police station, and an investigation was launched.
Given the seriousness of the incident, Ludhiana Rural Police and Counter Intelligence teams jointly investigated the case. They carefully reviewed CCTV footage from locations along the route the suspects may have taken. Technical analysis and intelligence inputs helped them trace the alleged main shooter.
Preliminary investigation and questioning indicate that threats had been made to blackmail Kulwant Singh, the gurdwara’s head sewadar. Police believe the firing was carried out in connection with those threats.
The arrested accused will be produced before a court, and police are seeking his remand for further questioning. Investigators said they would question him to help arrest the second shooter. If the investigation reveals the involvement of other suspects, legal action will also be taken against them.
According to SSP Dr Ankur Gupta, Ludhiana Rural Police and Counter Intelligence teams have also solved the firing incidents at Gurdwara Gopalsar Sahib in Gaggar village and Gurdwara Manji Sahib in Rajoana Kalan, and arrested the accused in both cases in a short time.
The incident
Two masked men on a motorcycle entered a historic gurdwara in Rajoana Kalan village and fired at the residential room of its head sewadar. No one was hurt, but the attack has rattled local residents and raised fresh questions about policing in the district. Head granthi Baba Kulwant Singh, who witnessed the incident, said the men spoke Punjabi in an unusual manner, a detail that may become relevant to the investigation.
The attack followed two other incidents in the Jagraon area. On Tuesday, an incident was reported at Gurdwara Gopalsar in Gagra village, and by evening there was a firing incident in Akkuwal village. The Rajoana Kalan attack is the third in quick succession, which has deepened anxiety among residents.
Rajoana Kalan is located close to Rajoana Khurd, the ancestral village of Balwant Singh Rajoana, who is on death row in the assassination case of former Chief Minister Beant Singh.