Two bike-borne assailants opened fire at close range

police and Counter Intelligence teams launched a probe

Jalandhar/Phagwara, 30 May (H.S.): RTI activist Simranjeet Singh from Jalandhar was shot dead in broad daylight on Saturday outside the Law Gate of Lovely Professional University (LPU) at Chaheru village in Phagwara. According to reports, two bike-borne youths opened fire on him from close range, killing him on the spot.

Simranjeet Singh had previously survived an attack by armed assailants outside a gym in Model Town, Jalandhar, around a year ago. Following that incident, Jalandhar City Police had provided him with two security personnel. However, he was reportedly travelling without security at the time of the attack.

For more than a decade, Simranjeet Singh had been actively pursuing various public-interest matters. He had filed numerous petitions and complaints before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Punjab Police and the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Sources also claimed that he had submitted certain documents related to Punjab Minister Sanjeev Arora to the ED. Arora is currently lodged in jail.

A resident of Adarsh Nagar, Jalandhar, Simranjeet Singh had divorced his first wife and had recently remarried.

Jalandhar Range DIG Naveen Singla said that a team from Satnampura Police Station reached the spot immediately after receiving information about the incident. During the investigation, a .32 bore pistol was recovered from the crime scene, while a .12 bore rifle was recovered from a Fortuner vehicle parked nearby.

The DIG added that multiple police teams have been constituted to trace and arrest the accused. Counter Intelligence units have also been deployed, and CCTV footage from the surrounding area is being examined for leads. The exact motive behind the murder remains unclear. However, police are investigating the case from all possible angles. Efforts are underway to identify and apprehend the assailants.

Hindusthan Samachar / GURSHARAN SINGH