M A I N   N E W S

BJP leader shot dead in Phagwara
Ashok Kaura

Phagwara, March 5
Tension prevailed in Phagwara town today after more than five unidentified assailants shot dead BJP’s Kapurthala district secretary Sudarshan Dhillon in the Hargobind Nagar area here.

Dhillon was coming from his Banga road residence in his Alto car (PB-36E-3333) when assailants, who were in a Scorpio, struck. They broke glasses of Dhillon’s car and attacked him with a sharp-edged weapon. When Dhillon tried to pull out his revolver, the assailants snatched it and opened fire on him. He was rushed to nearby Gandhi Hospital where doctors declared him brought dead. The police in its preliminary investigations found that Dhillon was killed with the bullet shots of a 7.65 mm pistol, which was probably used by the killers while Dhillon had a .32-bore revolver.

Soon after the incident, angry BJP and Shiv Sena workers and Dhillon's supporters blocked NH-1 and also forced shopkeepers to shut down their businesses. Most shops in the town were closed till afternoon. The police had to divert traffic through other routes in view of the blockade.

Jalandhar Range DIG Sharad Satya Chauhan later visited the town and held a meeting with citizens and police officials. A three-member panel chas been formed to solve the murder puzzle. The Phagwara police has registered a case under section 302 of the IPC and the Arms Act against unknown assailants, but no arrest has been made so for.