Masked men fire shots at AAP leader’s house, extortion angle suspected

A wave of panic swept through Darvesh village near Phagwara in the early hours of Wednesday after two unidentified masked assailants opened fire at the residence of AAP leader and Yudh Nasheya Virudh Phagwara coordinator Daljit Raju.

The incident, which occurred around 1:13 am, left the locality tense as more than a dozen shots were fired at the house before the attackers escaped under the cover of darkness.

Raju told the police that he, his wife, and their young daughter were asleep in their bedrooms on the first floor when the sudden volley of gunfires shattered the stillness of the night. Bullets pierced the glass railing and windows of the upper floor, but the family escaped unhurt.

The sound of the firing jolted Raju awake and on looking through the window, he saw two masked men brandishing pistols or revolvers and targeting his house at close range.

After fleeing the scene, the assailants left behind a trail of evidence. CCTV footage later recovered by Raju showed two suspects arriving on a motorcycle with their faces covered. They parked the vehicle near the village’s main gate and then approached the house on foot. One of the attackers was seen throwing four pages inside Raju’s premises, carrying the threatening inscription “Kala Rana Group — 5 Crore”, indicating a possible extortion demand.

In his detailed statement to the police, Raju maintained that he had no personal enmity or dispute with anyone and believed the attack was orchestrated by criminal elements with the sole intention of intimidation and extortion. He added that the miscreants fired indiscriminately before fleeing, leaving empty cartridges scattered around the site.

Following the incident, Raju immediately informed the police. Within minutes, two SHOs reached the crime site. Phagwara SP Madhvi Sharma and DSP Bharat Bhushan reached the location in early morning today, inspected the house and met the shaken family.

Lok Sabha MP Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal and halka in-charge Harnoor Singh Maan also visited the residence to express concern and solidarity with Raju.

The police have registered a case at Satnampura police station. SSP Gaurav Toora said the police were examining multiple angles, including extortion, gang rivalry, and targeted intimidation, and added that efforts were underway to scrutinise CCTV footages from the surrounding areas to identify the assailants.

The firing has triggered tension and fear among residents of Darvesh village, who remain anxious as the investigation continues. Police patrols have been intensified in the area as efforts to trace the suspects gain momentum.

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Incident happened at 1:13am

The incident occurred at 1:13 am.

Raju told the police that he, his wife, and their young daughter were asleep in their bedrooms on the first floor when the sudden volley of gunfires shattered the stillness of the night

Bullets pierced the glass railing and windows of the upper floor, but the family escaped unhurt.

The sound of the firing jolted Raju awake and on looking through the window, he saw two masked men brandishing pistols or revolvers and targeting his house at close range.