CHANDIGARH: Satimpal Singh Jogi, known as Lucky Oberoi, a senior leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Jalandhar’s Model Town area on Friday morning, police said.
Oberoi, 52, who was the halqa in-charge for the Jalandhar Cantt assembly seat, was attacked around 7:15 am by assailants on a scooter as he was leaving the gurdwara after morning prayers, according to police.
According to police officials, the incident occurred around 7:15 am. As Oberoi sat in his vehicle to head home, the attackers started firing indiscriminately, shattering the vehicle’s windows before hitting him at close range.
Dr. Vishal of Shriram Hospital confirmed that the victim sustained multiple gunshot wounds, including five to six in the chest and one in the head. Despite being placed on a ventilator, Oberoi succumbed to his critical injuries. Initial investigations by the police, led by ADCP Jayant Pari, suggest a case of target killing, and the area has been cordoned off as authorities examine CCTV footage to identify the culprits.
The murder has sparked a political firestorm, with the “Sheru Group” reportedly claiming responsibility for the attack on social media. Opposition leaders criticized the state’s security apparatus. Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla and senior leader Partap Singh Bajwa stated that the murder of a ruling party leader in a high-security zone near a police station exposes the “grim reality” of administrative failure. Bajwa questioned that if those in power are not safe, the common citizen is left with little hope for security.
Senior Congress leaders Sukhpal Singh Khaira and former Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa criticised Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the officiating state police chief over the safety situation.
Randhawa mockingly questioned whether “Operation Prahar,” the state’s anti-gangster campaign, was being led by the government or the gangsters themselves, noting that conditions have worsened since its launch. Meanwhile, a grieving relative of the deceased expressed total disillusionment, remarking to the media that the prevailing gangster culture has made current times feel more oppressive than the colonial era.
Agencies