B’day celebration turns fatal as youth shot dead in Una

A late-night birthday celebration at Hotel Raizada in the Lalsingi area of Una city ended in deadly violence when 28-year-old Ashu Puri, a resident of Santoshgarh, was shot dead in the parking lot. Three other young men were injured in the clash, which unfolded shortly after 1 am.

According to the FIR, shared with the media by the Una police, Puri was celebrating his birthday with friends at the hotel, owned by former Una MLA Satpal Raizada of the Congress. Another group of local youths was partying at the same venue. As both groups stepped outside around midnight, a heated argument erupted between Puri and Gurjeet Mann of Udaipur village.

Witness and complainant Akash from Behdala village said the argument quickly escalated, drawing in more youths from both sides. What began as a verbal duel turned into a violent confrontation, with swords reportedly used during the fight.

In the midst of the chaos, Akash alleges that Gurjeet shouted at his associate Parminder of Sanoli village to shoot Puri. Parminder then allegedly fired at Puri’s head from close range, killing him on the spot. Parminder and another youth, Purjinder, alias Pintu, of Udaipur, sustained serious injuries and were rushed to PGI Chandigarh for specialised care.

The police have booked Parminder, Gurjeet Mann and Purjinder under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Arms Act. Superintendent of Police Amit Yadav confirmed that all accused individuals were known to each other and are currently in custody. A forensic team has collected evidence from the crime scene as investigations gather pace.

The incident has reignited concerns about the growing influence of criminal gangs involved in mining, liquor and drug peddling in Una district. Over the past few months, the region has witnessed a spate of violent attacks. On November 2, a youth named Shubham from Santoshgarh was brutally assaulted and thrown into a water body. In July, Rakesh Kumar of Kotla village was shot dead inside a saloon in Basal. Businessmen have also reported receiving ransom threats from individuals claiming gang affiliations.

In response, Una Deputy Commissioner Jatin Lal convened a high-level meeting to review the district’s security landscape. He directed police to crack down on anti-social elements and instructed licensing authorities to reassess firearm permits. He also ordered intensified checking of vehicles, especially those crossing state borders, to curb the smuggling of illegal weapons.