Bathinda: Assailants in an SUV opened fire on a group standing outside a shop near their homes in Punjab’s Moga town on Sunday night, killing two cousins and injuring three others in a suspected gang rivalry. The incident drew criticism from opposition parties over the AAP govt’s handling of law and order.Eyewitnesses said five to six men travelling in a black Mahindra Scorpio fired more than a dozen rounds in Angadpura locality around 7.30 pm. Sahil Jindal (44) and his cousin Gagan (33) died of their injuries. Three others, Somnath, Raghav and Rajit, were hospitalised.A preliminary investigation indicated that the attack was due to a personal feud between Jindal and a rival identified as Kuljit, police said. The two groups had a history of clashes. Jindal faced around 10 cases related to rioting and clashes, police said.Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav, who inspected the crime scene on Monday along with Faridkot Range IG Jagadale Nilambari and Moga SSP Sartaj Singh, said police had recovered six empty cartridge cases from .30-bore and 9mm weapons, indicating the involvement of multiple shooters.Yadav said police were close to tracing the vehicle with the help of cell tower data and CCTV footage. He added that five people, Puneet, Gaba, Kiranpal, Tejinderpal and Jiwan, had been arrested for allegedly providing logistical support and facilitating the crime.A case of murder and violations under the Arms Act has been registered at the Moga South City police station.In a statement recorded by police, one of the injured, Somnath, said he was chatting with Jindal, Gagan and their friends Raghav, Rajit, Khushpreet and Ajay when the SUV stopped nearby. Five men, including Kuljit, allegedly opened fire. Somnath sustained a bullet injury to his shoulder.The attack triggered sharp criticism from opposition parties directed at CM Bhagwant Mann’s AAP govt.Punjab Congress in charge Sachin Pilot posted on social media that the “tragic state of affairs” in Punjab was not merely a law-and-order issue but reflected a deepening crisis of governance, public safety and accountability that demanded urgent attention.Punjab BJP president Kewal Dhillon described the killings as evidence of the AAP govt’s failure. “How many more lives will be lost?” he asked.Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Badal, addressing CM Mann, said, “If this is your Rangla Punjab, you have pushed the state into an absolute breakdown of law and order.”Former Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu said Punjab was demanding answers, claiming that “2,776 murders have taken place in 1,461 days in the state from 2022 to 2025, meaning an average of nearly two murders every day”.
