Ludhiana: Two key suspects in a daylight gangland execution that left two innocent wedding guests dead have vanished after the district police allowed them to remain free pending the results of an internal inquiry.Despite being named in the initial first-information report (FIR) for the Nov 2025 “Bath Castle” massacre, Jatinder Kumar Dawar and Kulpreet Singh, alias Rubal, successfully delayed their arrests by claiming innocence. By the time investigators officially rejected their claims, both men had fled, leaving police authorities scrambling to issue international lookout notices.The Great EscapeThe escape of the two men has raised serious questions regarding police oversight. Jatinder Kumar Dawar — whose licensed firearm was allegedly used in the shootout — was initially hospitalised with a bullet wound sustained during the clash. Because an inquiry into his “innocence” was technically open, police did not place him under guard. Upon his discharge from the hospital, Dawar simply walked away.“Dawar was admitted to the hospital, however, could not be arrested as an inquiry was pending,” said additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP-II) Karanveer Singh. “By the time the police completed the inquiry and denied them a clean chit, both Rubal and Dawar had managed to escape. They are now absconding.”The Nov MassacreThe charges stem from a violent confrontation on Nov 29, 2025, during the wedding of contractor Varinder Kapoor. A long-standing rivalry between two notorious criminals, Ankush “Ankur” Kanojia and Shubham Arora, reached a breaking point on the dance floor. What began as a verbal spat quickly escalated into a war zone, with at least 40 rounds fired from multiple weapons. The crossfire claimed the lives of two bystanders: Vasu Chopra, a close friend and neighbour of the groom, and Neeru Chhabra, the groom’s aunt, visiting from Jalandhar.Current Legal StatusWhile two primary suspects are in the wind, the Sadar police have filed a formal chargesheet against Ankush Kanojia, who remains in custody. Police have also arrested four individuals for harboring the fugitives and three security guards from the Pakhowal Road resort for negligence in allowing firearms onto the premises. Authorities are currently in the process of issuing a Look Out Circular (LOC) for Shubham Arora and his remaining associates to prevent them from fleeing the country.
