Police have registered a case against four suspects and seven unidentified persons in connection with the daylight murder of Harpinder Singh "Happy," the sarpanch of Patto Hira Singh village in Moga district.
Following the registration of the FIR and the arrest of two suspects, the victim's family ended their protest late Friday night.
On Friday morning, Harpinder was attacked with multiple rounds of firing and hitting the Sarpanch multiple times. He succumbed to his injuries during treatment at the hospital. The attackers managed to flee after the shooting.
Based on statements from the bereaved family, the police have named Manpreet Singh, Jobanpreet Singh, Jaswant Singh, and Jaskaran Singh in the FIR, along with 7 unidentified accomplices.
SHO Jitendra Singh, of Baghapurana police station, stated that two individuals have already been taken into custody. "Preliminary investigations suggest the murder is a result of mutual rivalry. We have identified several attackers and are conducting raids to nab the remaining suspects," he said.
Authorities have assured the family that the rest of the accused will be arrested by Monday.
The murder appears to be a targeted hit. Sources say that Harpinder had been receiving death threats since some time. Fearing for his safety, started using a bulletproof vehicle for daily commute.
However, on the day of the incident, he chose to drive his Mahindra Thar instead of his protected vehicle. It is believed the assailants had been monitoring his movements and took advantage of this lapse in security to carry out the assassination.
Following the murder, the victim's family and supporters staged a massive sit-in protest (dharna) at the Baghapurana Main Chowk, demanding justice. The protest was only called off after senior police officials provided written assurances regarding the swift arrest of all culprits. The body has been moved to the Moga Civil Hospital for a post-mortem examination.