Criminals rule the roost in Punjab as law enforcement agencies helplessly watch

Amritsar: Punjab, which has witnessed a spike in the incidents of gang wars, burglary and robbery with assailants openly using firearms to eliminate their victims, saw the killing of a celebrity Punjabi singer and three persons losing their lives in the past two days in Amritsar alone with Punjab’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government helplessly watching as the offenders hold sway over the region with impunity.

Ever wonder how these lawbreakers lay their hands on the arms and ammunition? Not only a section of skilled ironsmiths turned arms manufacturers are filling the vacuum but also the guns and ammunition are being airdropped by drones originating from Pakistan in the border regions of Punjab with security agencies still exploring the best anti-drone technology to install on the Indo-Pakistan border.

On May 28, Punjabi rapper, singer and politician Subhdeep Singh Sidhu Moosewala was shot dead in Mansa district of Punjab. This incident brought the focus on the lesser-known but prevalent gang culture of Punjab. In the past two days, there have been three murders in the holy city of Amritsar alone.

In one of the cases on Saturday, Charandeep Singh Babba, son of a Municipal Councillor allegedly shot dead Gurpartap Singh Raja while his friend Rishi Chaudhary was seriously injured over a property dispute. In another case, a 35 years old youth Harpinder Singh was shot dead by a couple of masked bike riders while Singh was on way to Golden Temple to pay obeisance along with his family in the wee hour of Sunday. 

In another case, the body of Kamini Devi who runs a grocery shop was found in her house under suspicious circumstances. Police are of the view that burglars had broken open Kamini’s house and robbed her gold jewellery and other expensive household stuff before allegedly strangulating her.

The general presumption is that criminals have no fear of police and the lack of delivering quick justice only encourages them to commit crimes and go scot-free.

“The incidents of gun violence have increased in Punjab, every month we get as many as two cases of gun violence which were not so about four to five years ago which is an unhealthy trend that has triggered panic in the society “ observed  Dr Avtar Singh of Amandeep Mendicity. Dr Avtar, who is also a philanthropist, suggested bringing awareness to the general public against the personification of gun culture, especially among youth.