Spate of Murders in Panjab

Panjab opposition has repeatedly warned of the deteriorating law and order situation in the state. The recent spate of murders in Panjab illustrates the opposition’s concern. On 3 Jan, a village council leader, Jarnail Singh, from Panjab's ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was shot dead at the Marigold Resort, in Amritsar. Jarnail had arrived at the venue to attend a wedding when unknown gunmen suddenly entered and fired two shots at Jarnail’s head from behind. Jarnail, from Valthoa village in Tarn Taran district, collapsed on the spot. On 3 Jan, Umarseer Singh, resident of Bhinder Khurd village, Moga district was shot dead in his car while on his way to work. The deceased was an Indian National Congress worker, a labor union leader, and an employee of a Nestle plant. Seven people, including Bhinder Khurd village council leader Inderpal Singh who owes allegiance to the AAP, have been booked for the murder. Umarseer’s younger brother Gurwinder Singh in his police complaint said AAP village council leader Inderpal had threatened Umarseer after their relative Veerpal Kaur didn’t withdraw her candidature in the recently held Block Council polls and ultimately won. On 3 Jan, Hempreet Kaur was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Kapurthala’s Seenpura locality. The deceased was living alone at her house. Her husband Parminder Singh and son are settled in Canada. The victim reportedly had an estranged relationship with her husband. On 5 Jan, a former Kabaddi player Gagandeep Singh was shot dead by assailants at the grain market in village Manuke, Moga district. The assailants later came to the village and announced, 'We have killed your boy, go and pick up his body'. Earlier, on 29 Dec 2025, Ashok Kumari, wife of former Additional Advocate General of Panjab, Krishna Kumar Goyal, was strangled to death during a robbery at her house in Phase 5, Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar. At the time, Goyal was in Muscat, Oman. The police are probing the role of the domestic help Neeraj who has been working with the family for nearly 12 years (earlier coverage).