An Amritsar shooting outside a gurdwara in Cheete Kalan village left Aam Aadmi Party sarpanch’s son Teerath Singh dead and his friend injured, with police registering an FIR against four named suspects but making no arrests by Tuesday evening.
The attack took place on Monday evening in Chatiwind on the outskirts of Amritsar. Teerath Singh was returning from the gurdwara with his friend Ranjit Singh when gunmen opened fire, according to the report. The two men collapsed on the roadside as the attackers fled, and passersby took them to hospital.
Teerath was declared dead at the hospital. Ranjit Singh, who sustained a bullet injury, was undergoing treatment and was out of danger, Attari Deputy Superintendent of Police Yadwinder Singh said on Tuesday.
The police have named Gurditt Singh, Gurjant Singh, Harkirat Singh alias Hockey and Gora in the FIR. No arrests had been made until Tuesday evening. Yadwinder Singh said multiple police teams were working on the investigation.
Police sources said Teerath’s family suspected the involvement of a rival group from the village. The DSP ruled out political rivalry as the immediate cause and said preliminary investigations pointed to old animosity linked to a land dispute.
The family has a local political connection. Teerath’s mother is the village sarpanch, while his brother Karaj Singh had also won the sarpanch election on an AAP ticket. The police account, however, did not link the shooting to the family’s political affiliations.
The killing occurred as Punjab was dealing with another double murder in Moga on Sunday evening. The two incidents within 24 hours prompted fresh political criticism of the state government’s handling of law and order.
Former Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu criticised the AAP government in a post on X, alleging that the state was witnessing recurring gun violence and questioning the administration’s ability to protect residents. He also referred to the victim’s family connection with an incumbent AAP sarpanch while demanding accountability from Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
The police investigation remains focused on identifying and apprehending the four suspects named in the FIR. Authorities have not announced any arrests or provided further details about the weapons used in the attack.
