House vandalised, NRI cancels visit to native village in Punjab's Goraya

Despite the Punjab Government launching Operation Prahar-2 to curb crime, recurring incidents of extortion and gun violence continue to instill fear across the state. While traders, sportspersons and the youth are already living under a shadow of insecurity, the growing sense of lawlessness is now discouraging Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) from visiting Punjab.

One such case has surfaced from Bara village in the Goraya area, where a US-based NRI family has refused to travel to their native village following a targeted attack on their property.

According to local sources, Kulwant Singh Kanta Sahota, a native of the village and US citizen, was scheduled to arrive in Punjab with his family on February 11. However, days before their visit, unidentified assailants vandalised his ancestral house, triggering panic among the family members.

A former panchayat member of the village and a youth responsible for maintaining the property stated that two attackers riding motorcycles damaged windowpanes and ventilator glass of the house, where a migrant worker has been residing for several years. CCTV footage of the incident clearly showed the attackers carrying out the act of vandalism before fleeing the scene.

The caretaker further revealed that this was not the first time that the family had been targeted, the police had earlier uncovered a conspiracy to attack the same NRI. Following the latest incident, the family decided to cancel their visit to Punjab, citing serious security concerns.

A complaint has been lodged with the Goraya police. Acting on the complaint, Chowki Dhuleta incharge Sukhwinder Pal Singh initiated an investigation. Sukhwinder Pal Singh said so far, no threat calls or extortion demands related to the case had come to the notice of the police, and further investigation was under way.