Patiala: In a shocking incident near Changera village on the Banur-Tepla road, a 45-year-old man allegedly shot his wife and teenage son before dying by suicide. The bodies of all three were discovered inside a Toyota Fortuner SUV parked near agricultural fields on Sunday evening.
The deceased has been identified as Sandeep Singh Rajpal, a native of Sikhwala village in Lambi, Bathinda district. He had been residing in Emaar Township, Sector 109, Mohali, with his wife Mandeep Kaur (42) and their 15-year-old son, Abhay. Police sources noted that the son was reportedly suffering from mental health issues.
The vehicle was found by workers installing a tubewell around 4:30 pm. Upon discovering the bodies, they alerted the Banur police. Officers from Banur police station, including SHO Arshdeep Sharma, IO Hardev Singh, and ASI Jaswinderpal, along with DSP Rajpura Manjit Singh and a forensic team, reached the scene soon after.
Police reported that the SUV’s engine was still running, the air conditioning was on, and the doors were unlocked. A pistol was found in Sandeep Singh’s hand, who was in the driver’s seat. His wife was seated in the front passenger seat, and their son was in the back. All three had sustained gunshot wounds to the head.
Preliminary investigation suggests that Sandeep Singh shot his wife and son before turning the gun on himself. However, police are not ruling out other possibilities. “It appears to be a case of suicide, but the motive remains unclear. We are awaiting post-mortem results and statements from relatives,” said DSP Manjit Singh.
A relative, Amarinder Singh, stated that Sandeep came from a farming family and was also involved in real estate. “I spoke to him just a week ago. He seemed fine,” he said. Sandeep’s brother resides in their native village, while his sister lives abroad.
Authorities have launched a detailed investigation into the incident.
