AAP Ludhiana MLA dies as gun goes off accidentally

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, January 11

Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Ludhiana West Gurpreet Gogi Bassi (58) died of a bullet

injury after his gun allegedly went off accidentally at his residence late on Friday night. He was rushed to Dayanand Medical College and Hospital where the doctors declared him brought dead.

The police said the bullet, fired accidentally from his .25 bore pistol, pierced Gogi’s temple. State AAP president Aman Arora said Gogi would clean his licensed pistol every day. While he was doing so Friday night, it got fired accidentally and claimed his life, he said. Sources said Gogi returned home around 10.30 pm after attending a political function. He was sitting in a room after having dinner. His wife and son were present in another room. At 11.30 pm, the family heard a gunshot and found Gogi in a pool of blood.

Initially, the police refused to confirm the cause of death. Senior police officials led by Police Commissioner Kuldeep Singh Chahal and Deputy Commissioner Jitendra Jorwal and AAP state chief Arora visited the hospital.

DCP Jaskiranjit Singh Teja said an accidental fire from the MLA’s personal weapon claimed his life. On the possibility of a suicide as Gogi was said to be in depression, the DCP categorically denied it and reiterated it was a case of an accidental fire.

After a post-mortem, the MLA was cremated with state honours. CM Bhagwant Mann along with senior AAP leaders paid tributes and expressed condolences with the family.

Governor Gulab Chand Kataria, CM’s mother Harpal Kaur, state ministers Hardeep Singh Mundian, Tarunpreet Singh Sondh and Kuldeep Dhaliwal, Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan, former minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, state Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, Rajya Sabha MP Balbir Singh Seechewal and several AAP MLAs attended the cremation.