Armed assailants shoot NRI man, wife, child keep pleading, politics erupts
An NRI who had recently returned from the United States was shot at his residence in the Daburji area of Amritsar, Punjab, on Saturday. The incident occurred when two armed men entered Sukhchain Singh's home under the pretext of asking about his luxury car's registration certificate. They then opened fire on Singh at close range, despite his wife and child’s pleas for mercy.
Singh sustained two gunshot wounds and has been hospitalized. The attack was captured on CCTV, showing the assailants fleeing after their pistols jammed. Singh, who had returned to Amritsar just 20 days ago and recently purchased a luxury car worth ₹1.5 crore, was previously residing in the US.
Family members have demanded stringent action against the perpetrators, with Singh's mother alleging that the attack was orchestrated by relatives of his first wife. An FIR has been filed against five members of his ex-wife's family. The government has instructed the Amritsar Police Commissioner to address the situation urgently.
Punjab Minister for NRI Affairs, Kuldeep S. Dhaliwal, suggested the attack might be linked to a personal dispute, noting that similar issues have recently been resolved in other cases.
The incident has been used by opposition parties to criticize the ruling AAP government’s handling of law and order. Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal accused Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann of failing to ensure safety, while former Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal criticized the state’s deteriorating security situation. BJP’s Manjinder Singh Sirsa and Congress Punjab chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring also condemned the incident, with Warring highlighting the increased insecurity for NRIs in Punjab under the current government.
ਮੁੱਖ ਮੰਤਰੀ @BhagwantMann ਤੁਸੀਂ ਅਤੇ ਤੁਹਾਡਾ ਪਰਿਵਾਰ ਤਾਂ ਬੁਲਟ ਪਰੂਫ ਗੱਡੀਆਂ, ਚੈਬਰ ਅਤੇ ਸੈਕੜੇ ਪੁਲਸ ਮੁਲਾਜਮ ਲੈ ਕੇ ਚੱਲਦੇ ਹੋ ਪਰ ਪੰਜਾਬੀਆਂ ਦੀ ਸੁਰੱਖਿਆ ਕੌਣ ਕਰੇਗਾ ?
— Harsimrat Kaur Badal (@HarsimratBadal_) August 24, 2024
ਅੱਜ ਦੁਬੁਰਜੀ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤਸਰ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਵਿੱਖੇ NRI ਸੁਖਚੈਨ ਸਿੰਘ 'ਤੇ ਘਰ ਵੜਕੇ ਕੀਤੇ ਜਾਨਲੇਵਾ ਹਮਲੇ ਨੇ ਸਾਰੇ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਨੂੰ ਹਿਲਾ ਕੇ ਰੱਖ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਹੈ, ਹਰ… pic.twitter.com/vEupVMdvJc