Sukhraj Singh, the 27‑year‑old brother of Padda village's Congress sarpanch Navdeep Singh, was shot dead on Saturday as he returned from a gurdwara in Gurdaspur district.
The 27‑year‑old had gone to the gurdwara to pay homage during a program marking the birth anniversary of Baba Sri Chand. While crossing the village road, he was intercepted by men in a Maruti Swift and opened fire, leaving him with multiple bullet wounds.
Police recovered two empty cartridges at the scene and registered a case, according to Senior Superintendent Ashok Kumar Sharma, who said the investigation points to a personal rivalry and noted that Singh had earlier faced a life‑threatening attack in Shahpur Jajan.
Navdeep Singh, who had survived that earlier assault, said police had not taken concrete action against the perpetrators, a lapse he believes contributed to the latest killing, and the family has appealed to senior Punjab Police officials for justice.
The case will be forwarded to the district court for further proceedings, and investigators are expected to file a charge sheet within the next fortnight.