NRI shot near Abohar over ‘property dispute’

Our Correspondent

Abohar, October 20

Canada-based NRI Balkaran Singh Bhullar (57) was shot dead by car-borne assailants outside his farmhouse near Balluana village of Fazilka district on Thursday.

Preliminary investigation indicated that at least four persons alighted from a car and fired seven shots from .12 and .315 rifles and fled. The NRI reportedly died on the spot.

The deceased’s younger brother, Baljit Singh, reportedly told the police Bhullar was on his way to the farmhouse when the assailants fired at him. Before escaping, they reportedly took away his .32-bore licensed pistol, the FIR stated.

Baljit, who resides in Sunder Nagari here, blamed Samarbir Singh Sammy and his brother Kulbir Singh of Suraj Nagari, Gurnek Singh Rimpy, Gurshetar Singh and five to six unidentified persons for Bhullar’s murder.

They have been booked under Sections 302, 382, 148, 149 and 120-B of the IPC and Sections 25, 27, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act.

Samarbir had, on September 25, lost a property case against Bhullar. “To avenge that, he planned the murder,” Baljit claimed.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Dr Ketan Baliram Patil, and Superintendents of Police (SP) Mukhtiar Singh and Amarjit Singh Matwani inspected the crime spot.

The call details of Bhullar’s mobile phones were being examined, sources said.

The body was shifted to the Civil Hospital here for the postmortem. 

The NRI had been facing trial over property dispute. He was a partner in a liquor business for the past five years.

A few weeks ago, the Excise Department had shut down about 60 liquor shops, in which Bhullar reportedly had financial interests, because of non-payment of excise duty.

Bhullar’s name was in the news a few months ago, as his telephonic conversation with an excise officer went viral. The officer had gone to meet liquor baron and SAD halqa ex-incharge Shiv Lal Doda in Amritsar Central Jail.

He had security cover 

Abohar: On HC’s direction, the police had provided Balkaran Singh Bhullar with a constable and a Home Guard. He feared threat to his life because of his liquor business and the trials he faced in connection with property disputes. He had hired five private guards. They were not with him at the time of the incident as they had gone home for Diwali. On Thursday morning, when Bhullar stepped out of his house for a walk, he reportedly told the police guards to stay in their room since he was not to move out of the farmhouse complex. OC