Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and village sarpanch was shot dead by two unidentified men while attending a wedding function in Punjab’s Amritsar district on Sunday, police and eyewitnesses said.
Jarmal Singh, the sarpanch of Valtoha village in Tarn Taran district, was at a resort near the Verka bypass when the attack took place. He was attending the wedding of the sister of Harjit Singh Serry, the sarpanch of neighbouring Amarkot village.
Now, a purported video of the incident, shared by Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal on X, shows two men dressed in casual clothes – hoodies and jeans – walking through the crowd with firearms in their hands before killing the 50-year-old sarpanch.
In the footage, the assailants can be seen moving unnoticed towards Singh, who was seated at a table wearing a yellow turban and speaking with another guest. Moments later, they open fire and flee the venue on foot.
Hindustan Times could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.
(Clip contains graphic content. Viewer discretion is advised)
Condemning the killing, Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal shared the video clip and blamed the state government over law and order.
“Strongly condemn the cold-blooded murder of Sarpanch Jarmal Singh of Valtoha village (Tarn Taran), who was shot dead at a wedding function in Amritsar today,” Badal wrote.
Soon after the incident, police teams reached the spot and began an investigation. Deputy Commissioner of Police (City) Jagjit Singh Walia said efforts were underway to identify and arrest the attackers.
“We have initiated a detailed probe into the incident with the help of our human intelligence and technical surveillance. Efforts are underway to identify and apprehend the attackers. Soon we will trace the attackers,” Walia said.
According to eyewitnesses, Singh was caught unawares while enjoying the function when the attackers opened fire. Initial findings also suggested that he was shot in the head.
Sarwan Singh Dhun, the MLA from Khemkaran constituency, where Valtoha village is located, said he was present at the wedding and recounted the sequence of events.
“We were together at the function and had tea. After that I went inside the hall to have lunch. Jarmal Singh remained sitting in the courtyard along with other guests,” Dhun said.
“Suddenly, I heard about the firing outside the hall. When I rushed outside, I saw that Jarmal Singh had been injured critically in the firing and he was being taken to the hospital,” he added.
The MLA said Singh had been facing threats prior to the incident. “He (deceased) was under threat because he got calls for extortion. In this regard, he also got an FIR registered in the Valtoha police station some time ago. And the police took action against some persons acting on his complaint,” Dhun said.
Calling Singh’s death a personal loss, the MLA said, “His death is a great loss to me as he was sarpanch of a big village. Rest, the police are investigating the incident.”
Curated by Shiv Shakti Mishra
