An Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) member, Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi, was shot dead and his friend Harpreet Singh alias Happy was injured after armed assailants opened fire in a crowded market in Mamdot village of Ferozepur around 8pm on Saturday, police said.
According to police, the attackers pursued the victims on a motorcycle in a car before opening fire. They also fired at a second car carrying nagar panchayat president Rajesh Kumar Maini, who escaped unharmed.
Friends of Gurpreet and Harpreet, who were following them in another vehicle, rushed the injured men to a hospital. Gurpreet was declared dead on arrival, while Harpreet, who was injured in the attack, was later shifted to Ludhiana in stable condition.
Gurpreet, who lost his wife around a year and a half ago, is survived by two children. Although he did not hold any official position in the AAP, he was actively involved in the nagar panchayat elections. His sister-in-law is a councillor from Ward No. 5.
Ferozepur SSP Bhupinder Singh said the preliminary investigation indicated that the shooting could be linked to election-related rivalry. He said the suspects had been identified and that the prime accused has a criminal record. Police teams are conducting raids to apprehend those involved.
The incident drew criticism from senior BJP functionary Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi, who attacked the Punjab government’s handling of law and order. Sodhi said the shooting highlighted what he described as the state’s deteriorating security situation. Referring to leaders’ earlier promises to combat crime and drugs at Bhagat Singh’s memorial in Khatkar Kalan, he alleged that the commitments had not been fulfilled.
Sodhi pointed to the spread of drugs, frequent shootings and the growing influence of gangsters among young people as signs of poor governance. He urged the government to move away from what he called Delhi-inspired policy models, take stronger measures against gangster culture and provide constructive avenues for the state’s youth.
