SAD LEADER SHOT AT IN LUDHIANA

‘POLITICAL RIVALRY’ Kin say altercations had taken place between SAD, Cong workers in village during rural elections

LUDHIANA: A former panchayat samiti member of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) was shot at by two motorcycle-borne assailants over an alleged political rivalry at Lalton Kalan village on the outskirts of Ludhiana city on Friday night.

Manjinder Singh, 45, who received three bullets, was rushed to the Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), Ludhiana, where his condition is serious.

Police have booked a Congress worker, Parminder Singh (42), and his unidentified aide on charges of attempt to murder. The victim’s family said the attack was carried out over political rivalry.

A complaint in this regard was lodged by Manjinder’s uncle and Akali worker Surjit Singh, 68, who claimed to have witnessed the attack.

Surjit said a few minutes before the attack, he saw five men in a Toyota Fortuner passing by when he was sitting in his shop.

The Akali worker identified them as Tarlochan Singh, Sukhdeep Singh, Parminder Singh, Gurmeet Singh and Jasjit Singh, all said to be local Congress leaders.

He said when left his shop after a while he met Manjinder on the way.

When they were chatting, two men on a bike, with Parminder riding pillion, opened fire at Manjinder and fled.

He said the attack was the result of a political rivalry between SAD and Congress workers in the village as some altercations took place during the recently held zila parishad

and panchayat polls.

Assistant sub-inspector Ashwani Kumar, who is investigating the case, said Parminder and his unidentified accomplice have

samiti

been booked under Section 307 (attempt to murder) of the IPC and Sections 25, 27, 54 of the Arms Act. The policehave launched a manhunt to arrest the accused, he said.