“I was sleeping in another room and returned fire but the assailants escaped. The assailants left behind a ladder that they had brought with them.” The police later found abandoned slippers from the scene.

A friend of Aman, Harpreet Singh, alias Nikku, who was sleeping in the same room as Aman was too shocked to give a statement, the police said.

Bathinda Senior Superintendent of Police Gurpreet Bhullar said personal enmity and not political rivalry or gang war seemed to be the reason for the killing.

He said Aman’s family suspected the hand of his cousins Gurlal Singh and Daljeet Singh and their unidentified friends in the killing. The two families have had strained relations for some time.

He said the two suspects have been booked for murder while investigation was on to identify others.

Sidhana and its surrounding villages falling in the Rampura Phul constituency of Education Minister Sikander Singh Maluka have a history of poll-related violence as well as rivalries between local gangs, who change affiliation to political leaders and parties frequently.

The incident took place just two days after Inspector General of Police (Bathinda zone) PS Umaranangal held a meeting of SSPs to take stock of the security. He claimed full arrangements were in place to maintain law and order.

• Aman Sidhana, alias Amana, was the right-hand man of PPP youth leader Lakha Sidhana, a close aide of party chief Manpreet Badal
• He had developed some differences with Lakha Sidhana and joined the SAD two months ago. Aman was with Lakha when he was shot at ahead of the panchayat elections at Adampura village near Sidhana in May last year.