In a bizarre development, 28-year-old Jugraj Singh aka Tota was shot dead in broad daylight on Saturday in Channanke village under Mehta police station limits. The chilling murder was captured on nearby CCTV cameras. As per information received, three unidentified assailants arrived on a motorcycle and opened fire at close range, killing Jugraj on the spot. Preliminary investigations point to a targeted killing linked to ongoing gang rivalries in Punjab.
Shortly after the murder, a chilling message was posted online allegedly by the Bambiha gang, claiming responsibility for the killing. In the post, members Doni Bal, Mohabbat Randhawa, and Kaushal Chaudhary accused Jugraj of helping rival gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, including conducting surveillance on their member Gora Bariar, and lodging complaints against their associates.
A Police official stated, "Initial investigation suggests personal rivalry. Jugraj himself had gangster affiliations. We have sealed the area and launched a search operation. CCTV footage and eyewitness accounts are being used to identify the attackers.”
Link to Jaggu Bhagwanpuria’s family murders
This murder follows the June 25 double murder of gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria’s mother Harjit Kaur and his close aide Karanvir Singh in Batala, which the Bambiha gang also claimed responsibility for. That act, they said, was revenge for the killing of their own associate, Gora Bariar. In response to that incident, Jaggu Bhagwanpuria’s gang had posted a message mourning the loss and warning that boundaries had been crossed.
Currently, Jaggu Bhagwanpuria remains in jail, but the feud between the two notorious Punjab gangs continues to spiral.