Jalandhar Congress leader dies as revolver goes off

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, July 24

Local Congress leader Balwant Shergill was “accidentally” shot dead at a gun house here on Tuesday.

Sukhdev Singh, Station House Officer, said Shergill had gone to Suri Gun House to sell his revolver ahead of his Europe tour. “The shop owner, Parvinder Suri, apparently fired a shot while checking the weapon. Shergill died on the spot,” the police officer said.

The CCTV footage showed that Shergill and the owner were sitting along with an unidentified man in the shop. Suri was examining the revolver when it went off. When Shergill fell, Suri ran away. A case has been registered under Section 302 of the IPC.

Shergill began his career as a journalist with a vernacular newspaper and later joined politics. He was initially with the Shiromani Akali Dal and had later joined the People’s Party of Punjab, floated by Manpreet Badal. Later, Shergill had joined the Congress along with Manpreet.