A newlywed wrestler was shot dead while bursting Diwali firecrackers outside his home in Kapurthala, Punjab, on Monday evening, 9 November. The killing was reported on Tuesday, 10 November, according to a report by NDTV.
The victim was Mani, also known as Pehalwan, 27, a local wrestler and resident of Mohalla Mehtabgarh in Kapurthala. He had been married about six months ago, according to the report.
Mani was bursting firecrackers outside his home when assailants fired at him at around 7:30 to 8 pm. At least one bullet pierced his chest, the report says, and he was rushed to Civil Hospital in Kapurthala, where he was declared dead on arrival.
Police recovered two spent cartridges from the spot. A case was registered on the complaint of the family, and multiple police teams were formed to trace the suspects. Raids were under way at the time of reporting, and no arrests had been confirmed.
Who police say was the target
DSP Sheetal Singh told reporters that two groups in the area were at odds, and that the intended target of the firing was the dead man's neighbour, not Mani himself. The spelling of the officer's first name varies across reports.
The suspects have been identified as two brothers, Kamal and Mani, sons of Pala Singh, according to ETV Bharat. The spelling of the first brother's name varies across reports, appearing as Kamal in some and Komal in others.
Two cases under the Arms Act were already registered against Kamal, according to the report. That history is part of what police are examining as they investigate the motive for the firing.
The killing has shocked the locality, where Mani was known as a wrestler and a young man recently married. Neighbours and family members gathered at the hospital after he was brought there, according to the reports.
Political reaction
Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia alleged that young people are unsafe even on festival days under the Bhagwant Mann government in Punjab. His comment is a political allegation, and it reflects the opposition's criticism of the state's law and order situation.
The incident happened on a festival evening, when streets across Punjab were crowded with people bursting firecrackers. The fact that a shooting took place in that setting has added to the sense of shock in the area.
Police have not yet said when arrests are expected. The investigation is continuing, with the teams formed for the case carrying out raids to trace the two brothers named as suspects.
For now, the confirmed facts are the identity of the victim, the time and place of the shooting, the recovery of two cartridges and the formation of police teams. The motive and the exact sequence of the firing are matters for the investigation.
