Punjab Gripped By Fear: Crime Wave Raises Concerns Ahead of Rural Polls

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann stated that all preparations are complete for peaceful elections in the state.

With rural polls in Punjab scheduled for Sunday, opposition parties have highlighted recent criminal incidents in Jalandhar to question the law and order situation in the state.

On Friday night around 10:30 PM, a 16-year-old relative of BJP leader and former AAP MLA Sheetal Angural was fatally stabbed in Jalandhar. Vikas Angural was attacked by three individuals with sharp weapons following a dispute over drugs, sustaining fatal chest and head injuries. Despite being rushed to hospital, he succumbed to his wounds.

Sheetal Angural, accompanied by other BJP leaders, visited both the hospital and crime scene, demanding immediate action from authorities.

Also on Friday night, residents of Jalandhar's Nila Mahal area were thrown into panic when a gunshot was fired. The incident involved a group of men who fired once before fleeing the scene.

Initial investigations indicate the shooting stemmed from an ongoing conflict between two groups. The perpetrators had apparently been given incorrect address information that led them to the area.

Police have identified two suspects, Nikhil Nahar and Rohan, and are analyzing CCTV footage for additional evidence. Station House Officer Jaswinder Singh confirmed that investigations are ongoing, with efforts underway to apprehend the suspects.

Congress leader Pargat Singh criticized Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's AAP government on social media platform X, stating that what once would have been shocking has become commonplace.

"Gunfire reported in Jalandhar during an attempt to loot a tipper truck. Just yesterday, the nephew of former MLA was brutally killed. Punjab is gripped by fear as law and order continues to collapse day by day. What was once shocking has now become routine under the failed governance of @BhagwantMann govt, which has completely failed to protect lives and maintain public safety," he posted on X on Saturday.

In response to media inquiries, Chief Minister Mann maintained that all necessary arrangements are in place to ensure the polls proceed peacefully throughout the state.