Mansa shop firing linked to Canada student rivalry; 4 held, weapons recovered

Mansa police on Monday claimed to have cracked the case of daylight firing at a pesticide dealer’s shop at busy Gurdwara Chowk here on October 28, saying it was the fallout of an election-related rivalry between the victim’s son and a rival student group in Surrey, Canada.

Mansa SSP Bhagirath Singh Meena said the shopkeeper, Satish Kumar alias Neetu’s son had contested the election for vice-president of the student council at a university in Surrey, Canada, which led to enmity with a rival faction led by Sharanjit Singh Aulakh.

“The rival faction of his son’s group orchestrated the firing by hiring a shooter, Gursahib Singh, and taking help from their local contacts,” said the SSP.

He further said that earlier, three accused Gursahib Singh, Ramanpreet Singh and Baljinder Singh, all residents of Ropar district had been arrested.

Two pistols along with nine live cartridges and six bullet shells were recovered from Gursahib and Ramanpreet, while Baljinder was arrested for providing them shelter.

The fourth accused, identified as Manjot Singh of Masani village in Jalandhar, has now been arrested. Two pistols, including a .32 bore and a Zigana, along with six live cartridges, have been recovered from him, the SSP added.

Manjot along with one Rajan Bhagat of Batala in Gurdaspur district was booked on the statement given by Gursahib, said the SSP. Rajan is however yet to be arrested.

Meanwhile, acting on the complainant’s fresh statement, two more persons – Sharanjit Singh Aulakh alias Sharan Aulakh of Gurdaspur, currently in Canada, and Jaspreet Singh alias Jass Gill of Lalomajra, now in Australia – have also been booked.

A case under various sections of the BNS and the Arms Act has already been registered at Mansa City-I police station. Notably, Mansa town had observed a one-day ‘bandh’ and witnessed protests following the incident.