The protesters demanded the arrest of Akali leader Yadwinder Singh Yadu, Jatinder Singh alias GP (SAD sarpanch) of Kauri village and their accomplices.
"We have been left with no option but to stage dharna. It has been more than 24 hours that Kulwinder was killed, but the accused are still roaming free," said Charan Singh, the victim's relative.
The protesters lifted dharna after Khanna SSP Sushil Kumar said the sports utility vehicle (SUV), in which the accused had fled the spot, was recovered from Atala village near Khanna.
"Let us not politicise the issue. Both Yadu and Amrinder Singh alias
Soni, who is undergoing
treatment after suffering a bullet injury, were bitter rivals. Both had entered into an ugly clash in the past as well. It was a case of personal rivalry,"
Kumar said, adding that there was no need to panic and accused would be arrested soon.
Meanwhile, the incident has spread panic in the area. Bholla Singh, an eyewitness of the shootout, said: "The incident took place in a few seconds. The assailant came in Ford Endeavour and fired shots at the youths sitting in Mahindra Scorpio and fled the spot. Some shots even hit the office on the first floor of the building."
Another eyewitness requesting anonymity claimed that nearly 30 policemen were standing at the chowk located just a few metres away where the shootout took place yesterday. The witness said instead of chasing the SUV, the policemen looked the other way.
"The police cannot deny this. There were elections going on to elect the trust members of AS educational institutes. Heavy police force was deployed at the venue. Still the assailants managed to escape," said Amandeep Singh, a resident of Khanna.
