An Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) sarpanch was fatally shot in broad daylight while attending a family wedding in Punjab’s Tarn Taran district, raising fresh concerns over the state’s law and order situation.
Harbrinder Singh, the sitting sarpanch of Thathian Mahantan village in Tarn Taran, was killed on the spot when unidentified gunmen opened fire at him during the ceremony. His cousin, who was seated nearby, sustained serious bullet injuries and was rushed to hospital for treatment.
According to details received by The Chenab Times, the incident occurred around 3 pm on February 18 at Sidhu Farm, a farmhouse venue along the Tarn Taran-Bathinda National Highway. Harbrinder Singh, aged 40 and also known by the alias Happy, had gone to attend his cousin’s wedding celebration. Eyewitness accounts and police sources indicate that two to three assailants, possibly arriving on a motorcycle, entered the premises and targeted him directly. Reports suggest multiple bullets were fired, striking him in the stomach and head, leading to his immediate death. When the injured relative attempted to pursue the attackers, he too was shot in the stomach.
The attackers fled the scene immediately after the shooting. Punjab Police have launched an investigation, with senior officers visiting the site and a manhunt underway for the suspects. Some reports indicate the use of an automatic weapon, possibly an AK-47, though this remains under verification. Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav has suspended a Deputy Superintendent of Police and a Station House Officer in connection with the incident, citing lapses in security arrangements.
Harbrinder Singh was an active AAP member and reportedly close to Punjab Cabinet Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar, who holds the portfolios of agriculture and rural development. He owned agricultural land and worked as a commission agent in addition to his role as village head. He is survived by two young sons, both under 10 years old.
This is the second killing of an AAP sarpanch in Tarn Taran and surrounding areas in recent weeks. On January 5, another party sarpanch, Jarmal Singh of Valtoha Sandhua village, was shot dead during a wedding ceremony in Amritsar district. Opposition parties, including the Shiromani Akali Dal and Bharatiya Janata Party, have criticised the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government over deteriorating law and order, with calls for the Chief Minister’s resignation and greater accountability.
Police have not yet disclosed a motive for the latest attack, and investigations are ongoing to determine if the incidents are linked or stem from personal, political, or other disputes. The killings have intensified political tensions in Punjab, where the ruling AAP faces mounting pressure to address rising violence in border districts like Tarn Taran.
The Chenab Times News Desk