CHANDIGARH: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Satwinderpal Singh alias Lucky Oberoi was shot dead in Jalandhar in Punjab on Friday.
The shootout took place outside the Model Town gurdwara in Jalandhar. As Oberoi was leaving in a Thar jeep, after paying obeisance, two unidentified assailants arrived in an Activa scooter and fired 8 to 10 rounds at his chest and head.
He was rushed to a private hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
A sewadar at the gurdwara said that Oberoi used to visit gurdwara every day. Two programmes were being organised in the gurdwara premises at that time, including an Anand Karaj ceremony.
When the gunshots were fired, everyone inside the gurdwara initially thought they were fireworks from the wedding party. Only minutes later, everyone realised that there were gunshots.
The alleged accused had been threatening Oberio over the appointment of the student president at Lyallpur Khalsa College.
Oberoi had even taken a weapon licence in view of the threats but was not carrying when he visited the gurdwara this morning. Oberoi’s wife, Simarjot Kaur, had unsuccessfully contested the councillor’s elections from the area on an AAP ticket in December 2024.
Director General of Police, Punjab, Gaurav Yadav visited Jalandhar and held a high-level meeting with senior police officers to review the ongoing investigation into the murder of Satwinderpal Singh alias Lucky Oberoi.
He also visited the scene of the crime for a firsthand assessment.
Addressing the media at the scene of the crime, Yadav reiterated the Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann-led Punjab government’s firm resolve to maintain law and order, asserting that the perpetrators of the crime will be nabbed and ensured exemplary punishment as per the law.
"CM is personally monitoring the case and is being updated frequently on the developments,” he said.
He was accompanied by Commissioner of Police Jalandhar Dhanpreet Kaur.
Yadav said that the investigation is being conducted professionally and scientifically.
"We have reviewed the investigations conducted so far and are tracking all forward and backward movements related to the suspects,” he added.
He further informed that police teams have collected mobile tower dumps to advance the investigation through technical analysis.
“All theories of crime are being thoroughly investigated,” Yadav added.
Providing details on the current status, Jalandhar Police Commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur said that preliminary investigations have found that both accused, wearing black hoodies, fled from the spot on their Activa scooter.
Further investigations are going on, she added.
In this regard, a case has been registered under sections 103(1), 3(5) and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and sections 25 and 27 of the Arms Act at Police Station Division 6 in Jalandhar Commissionerate.
The Opposition parties hit out at the government over the deteriorating law and order situation in the State. Leader of Opposition in the Punjab and a senior Congress leader, Partap Singh Bajwa, sharply criticised the State government after the daylight murder of Oberoi.
He alleged that Punjab's law and order situation has "collapsed" under Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's administration.
In a post on X, he wrote, "Law and order in Punjab has collapsed under CM Bhagwant Mann. The shocking daylight murder of an AAP Punjab leader, Lucky Oberoi, outside a gurdwara in Jalandhar exposes the grim reality: if even ruling party leaders aren't safe, what remains for ordinary citizens?"
Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring said nobody is safe under AAP rule in Punjab."This is what we have been warning time and again. AAP has pushed Punjab into Jungle Raj," he said.
BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh also hit out at the Bhagwant Mann government, saying that the brutal daylight killing of AAP leader Lucky Oberoi in Jalandhar is not just a murder but a chilling reminder that Punjab is slipping into complete lawlessness.
"When leaders of the ruling party themselves are being gunned down in public places, it exposes the utter collapse of governance and the dangerous rise of gangster raj across the State. If those in power are not safe, what protection remains for the common people of Punjab?" Chugh said in a post on X.
Chugh said that AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal promised to eradicate criminals and miscreants from Punjab, but instead it has pushed the State deeper into fear, drugs, organised crime, and administrative paralysis.
"The Mann government appears more interested in political optics and PR than in protecting lives. My Punjab, once known for its courage and prosperity, is now being pushed towards anarchy due to sheer incompetence and lack of leadership. The people of Punjab deserve security, dignity, and a government that can actually govern," remarked.