SAD neta, bro go hunting, accused of killing farmer

CHANDIGARH: A 45-year-old farmer was shot dead in a village in Batala district of Punjab after he tried to prevent a Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) block samiti chairman and his companions from hunting.
The man who opened fire at farmer Gurmukh Singh and others, was identified as Nirmal Singh, the brother of SAD's Dera Baba Nanak marketing committee chairman Sucha Singh. Gurmukh had tried to stop them from trespassing into his pea farms in Sanghera village at around 4 pm on Monday.
Kanwaljit Singh, 35, and Dalbir Singh, 65 were grievously injured.
A case of murder and under the Arms Act was registered at Batala's Qila Lal Singh police station based on the statements of the two injured against the 15 people.
According to the FIR, Sucha Singh and his brother Nirmal Singh are the prime accused. Both were armed with .12 bore rifles while Sucha's son Meherban Singh and Nirmal's two sons, Jaypee and Manu,were carrying pistols, it further mentioned.
The FIR also stated that the two injured were being treated at Guru Nanak hospital in Amritsar.
According to cops, the assailants allegedly had an argument with Gurumukh on Christmas, too, when they had come to hunt.
All the assailants are still at large.
The incident has also raised the question as to why have weapons not been deposited despite the Election Commission's instructions in September this year.
The village is famous for wild rabbits, geese and jungle fowl.