Former Akali sarpanch shot dead by assailants in Ludhiana
A former village sarpanch was shot dead by two unidentified motorcycle-borne assailants in Ludhiana's Ladhowal area on Saturday evening, marking the latest in a series of violent incidents in the district. Navtej Singh alias Neetu, a former sarpanch of Manewal village in his sixties, was travelling alone in his SUV from Manewal to his residence in Krishna Nagar when the assailants intercepted him near the Punjab Agro farm around 7 pm and opened fire. He was rushed to Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival. Police sources said at least six rounds were fired at the spot.
Police suspect a family land dispute was behind the killing. According to ACP (West) Jatinderpal Singh, "Prima facie, the deceased had a land dispute within the family." Seven people, including relatives of the deceased, have been booked in a murder case registered at Ladhowal police station on the statement of Navtej's son. Ladhowal SHO Inspector Sukhwinder Singh said some of those booked were relatives of Navtej with whom he had a dispute. Navtej had served as sarpanch of Manewal during the SAD-BJP government and later extended political support to both the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party.
This killing is part of a larger wave of violence in Ludhiana, with at least three men murdered in approximately 48 hours. A day earlier, 29-year-old Laddi Khan was shot dead in Mullanpur Dakha under Ludhiana Rural Police, with investigators suspecting an old rivalry between two groups.
