Punjab CM Orders Swift Action After AAP Leader, Village Sarpanch Shot Dead at Wedding in Amritsar

Chandigarh/Amritsar, Jan 2026 : Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has issued strict instructions to the police to identify and arrest those responsible for the killing of an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and village sarpanch, an incident that has sparked sharp political reactions and renewed concerns over law and order in the state.

The victim, Jarmal Singh, a resident of Valthoa village in Tarn Taran district and an active AAP leader, was attending a wedding ceremony in Amritsar on Sunday evening when he was shot dead at close range. According to police officials, Singh was rushed to a nearby hospital immediately after the attack but succumbed to his injuries during treatment.

Eyewitnesses told the police that Singh was seated and enjoying the wedding function when two unidentified men suddenly approached him. One of the assailants reportedly grabbed him while the other pulled out a firearm and shot him in the head at point-blank range. After being shot, Singh collapsed onto a chair as panic spread among the wedding guests.

CCTV footage collected from the venue has captured the chilling sequence of events. In the visuals, two men can be seen entering the function area, with one of them drawing a gun and firing at the victim’s head. Notably, the attackers were not wearing masks and fled the scene immediately after the shooting, despite the presence of several guests.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was informed about the incident by Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav. The Chief Minister directed the police to take immediate and decisive action, stressing that those involved in the crime must be identified and arrested without delay. Senior police officials visited the spot, secured evidence, recorded eyewitness statements, and launched a detailed investigation.

Multiple police teams have been deployed, and raids are being conducted at various locations in and around Amritsar and other districts to trace the attackers. Officials said all angles, including gang rivalry and personal enmity, are being examined.

Shortly after the murder, gangster Prabh Dasuwal, along with associates Doni Bal and others, claimed responsibility for the killing through a social media post. Police sources said the claim is being verified as part of the ongoing investigation.

The incident has triggered strong reactions from opposition parties. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal alleged that targeted killings in public places had become frequent in Punjab, reflecting what he termed a complete collapse of policing under the AAP government. He criticised Chief Minister Mann, who also holds the Home portfolio, and said criminals appeared to have no fear of the law.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also launched a sharp attack on the state government. BJP national spokesperson Shahzad Poonawala shared the CCTV footage of the killing on social media platform X and described the incident as “horrific.” He alleged that law and order in Punjab had completely collapsed under AAP rule, pointing to a series of violent incidents, including the murder of singer Sidhu Moosewala, grenade attacks, the drug mafia, and gang wars. Poonawala demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Mann and accused the AAP leadership of failing to protect the people of Punjab.

Responding to the incident, AAP state president Aman Arora visited the family of the deceased sarpanch in Tarn Taran on Monday. Condemning the killing, Arora warned that all those involved—whether the shooters or those directing them from behind the scenes—would not be spared. He assured the family that the Punjab government stood firmly with them in their hour of grief. Arora also urged the central government to extend greater cooperation in extraditing fugitives like Dasuwal, who are allegedly orchestrating crimes from abroad.

Meanwhile, Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Waring said the people of the state had lost faith in both the AAP government and the police. Claiming that criminals were operating fearlessly, Waring said incidents of murders in broad daylight had become routine. He cited a similar shooting at a wedding in Ludhiana that claimed two lives and noted that the accused in that case were still at large even after nearly two months. “This shows the police have given up on crime and left people to their fate,” he said.

As investigations continue, the murder of Jarmal Singh has once again placed Punjab’s law-and-order situation under intense public and political scrutiny.