AAP sarpanch shot dead at Tarn Taran wedding, relative critical

Chandigarh: In a chilling daylight shooting that has rattled Punjab’s border belt, an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) sarpanch was gunned down during a wedding celebration in Tarn Taran district on Wednesday, police said.

Harbarinder Singh (40), sarpanch of Thathiyan Mahanta village, was attending his cousin’s marriage at a farmhouse located along a national highway when three unidentified assailants allegedly arrived on a motorcycle and opened fire at close range. Singh collapsed on the spot and was declared dead at the scene.

A relative, Germanjeet Singh, sustained bullet injuries while attempting to intervene. He was rushed to a private hospital in Amritsar, where doctors described his condition as critical.

Police officials said preliminary inputs indicate that an automatic weapon may have been used, with suspicion falling on a possible AK-47-type rifle. However, authorities stressed that forensic analysis is underway to establish the exact firearm involved.

Eyewitnesses recounted scenes of panic as gunshots rang out amid wedding festivities. Guests scrambled for cover while the attackers fled, exploiting the chaos. “People ran to save themselves; everything happened within seconds,” an eyewitness said.

Senior police officers reached the venue soon after the incident and sealed off the area. Forensic teams combed the site for ballistic and trace evidence, while investigators began scanning CCTV footage from nearby establishments and highway cameras to identify the assailants and reconstruct the sequence of events.

Police said multiple teams have been formed to track down the accused. The motive behind the killing remains unclear, with investigators probing angles ranging from personal enmity and criminal rivalry to possible political links.

Harbarinder Singh, a commission agent by profession, also owned agricultural land and was considered an active grassroots functionary of the ruling AAP in the region. He is survived by his wife and two minor sons.

The incident marks the second killing of an AAP sarpanch in the region in two months. On January 5, Jarmal Singh, an AAP sarpanch from Amritsar district, was similarly shot dead during a wedding function, raising fresh concerns over targeted violence at social gatherings.

The latest attack comes even as the Punjab government continues its anti-gangster drive, intensifying scrutiny of the state’s law-and-order situation, particularly in border districts that have witnessed sporadic high-profile crimes.

Police said further investigation is ongoing and urged witnesses to come forward with any information that could assist in identifying the perpetrators.