Gang violence on the rise in Punjab

Police on the edge as four major incidents in the past 10 days have created fear and panic in the public

- VIPIN PARMAR

Incidents of gangster shootings and murders have surged in Punjab. In the last ten days, four major incidents across different districts have left the police and the administration on the edge.

Four separate gangs have claimed responsibility for the attacks, with motives of extortion and territorial dominance.

Targeted killings and public shootouts have created a fear and panic in residents. Prominent businessmen and singer-actors were among the targets. According to sources, hefty ransoms were demanded from them.

The alarming rise in gang-related violence has drawn sharp criticisms from the opposition. Congress MLA and Leader of the Opposition Pratap Singh Bajwa accused the Aam Aadmi Party-led state government of surrendering Punjab to "bullets and bloodshed".

Harjeet Kaur, mother of notorious gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, and his accomplice Karanvir were killed in Gurdaspur on June 28. The two were in a car outside the house in Batala when two attackers came on a bike and opened fire.

The Bambiha gang claimed responsibility for the murder by posting posts on social media.