Daijiworld Media Network - Jalandhar

Jalandhar, Dec 14: A day ahead of the rural local body elections in Punjab scheduled for Sunday, opposition parties flagged concerns over law and order following a series of violent incidents reported in Jalandhar.

Late on Friday night, a 16-year-old relative of BJP leader and former AAP MLA Sheetal Angural was stabbed to death. The victim, identified as Vikas Angural, was allegedly attacked by three men with sharp-edged weapons around 10.30 pm following an argument related to drugs. He sustained serious injuries to the chest and head and was rushed to a hospital, where he later succumbed.

Sheetal Angural, along with other BJP leaders, visited the hospital and the spot where the incident occurred, demanding swift action against those responsible.

In another incident the same night, panic gripped residents of Jalandhar’s Nila Mahal area after a gunshot was fired. According to preliminary investigations, a group of men fired a shot and fled the scene. Police said the firing appeared to be linked to an ongoing feud between two groups and that the suspects had reportedly reached the area after being given a wrong address.

The police have identified two accused, Nikhil Nahar and Rohan, and are scrutinising CCTV footage to collect further evidence. Station House Officer Jaswinder Singh said the investigation was underway and efforts were being made to arrest the accused.

Reacting to the incidents, Congress leader Pargat Singh launched a scathing attack on the AAP government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. In a post on X, he said incidents of gunfire and murder had become routine in Punjab, accusing the state government of failing to protect lives and maintain public safety.

“Gunfire reported in Jalandhar during an attempt to loot a tipper truck. Just yesterday, the nephew of a former MLA was brutally killed. Punjab is gripped by fear as law and order continues to collapse day by day,” he wrote.

Responding to the criticism, Chief Minister Mann said all arrangements were in place to ensure that the rural polls are conducted peacefully across the state.