5 months ago
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A 30-year-old kabaddi player-cum-promoter died aft unidentified gunmen opened occurrence connected him aft helium arrived with his squad to instrumentality portion successful a tourney successful Mohali connected Monday (December 15, 2025), constabulary said.
Kanwar Digvijay Singh alias Rana Balachauria was critically injured successful the onslaught and was rushed to the Fortis Hospital successful Mohali wherever helium was declared dead, constabulary said.
The incidental took spot astatine Sohana successful Mohali wherever a backstage kabaddi tourney had been going connected for the past fewer days, SSP Harmandeep Singh Hans said.
A connection issued by the infirmary said, “Mr Kanwar Digvijay Singh, a 30-year-old kabaddi player, was brought to the Fortis Hospital, Mohali, astatine 6:05 p.m. with gunshot injuries. Despite contiguous objective assessment, helium was declared brought dead.”
The SSP told reporters that the assailants were 2-3 successful number, who reportedly fled connected a motorcycle aft the incident.
Asked if determination was immoderate enmity space oregon pack rivalry down the killing, the SSP said, “The substance is nether investigation.”
Some eyewitnesses told constabulary that the attackers pretended to beryllium fans and approached Rana to click selfies but opened occurrence soon after.
The tourney was being held successful a packed ground, wherever Punjabi vocalist Mankirt Aulakh was besides expected for the evening matches to springiness distant prizes, they said.
When Rana reached the ground, helium was stopped by the attackers who requested for a selfie.
“We archetypal thought firecrackers were being burst,” an eyewitness said, referring to the gunshots.
“To scare the spectators, the attackers besides fired successful the air,” helium said.
The sidesplitting brought backmost memories of 3 years agone erstwhile different kabaddi player, Sandeep Nangal, was changeable dormant successful Jalandhar territory successful the mediate of a tourney astatine Mallian Kalan village.
More recently, a 25-year-old kabaddi subordinate named Teja Singh was changeable dormant successful wide daylight successful Jagraon successful October this year.
The absorption Congress, SAD and BJP slammed the Bhagwant Mann authorities implicit the Mohali incident, alleging full illness of instrumentality and bid successful the authorities nether the AAP.
Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring said successful a station connected X, “Open firing astatine a kabaddi tourney successful Mohali, claiming the beingness of subordinate Rana Balachauria, is simply a chilling reminder of @AAPPunjab's abject nonaccomplishment to support instrumentality and order. Bullets flying astatine nationalist events are impervious of governance collapse. Punjabis are being forced to unrecorded successful fear.”
Senior Congress person Partap Singh Bajwa said connected X, “Gunshots astatine the Mohali Kabaddi Cup successful Sohana are a damning verdict connected @BhagwantMann's full nonaccomplishment arsenic CM and Home Minister." Bajwa, who’s the Leader of Opposition successful the Punjab Assembly, claimed that sporting arenas person turned into shooting grounds portion criminals roam with impunity.
“When bullets alert astatine nationalist events, it's wide the authorities has mislaid control. This isn't governance, this is abdication. Punjab is paying the terms for Mann's incompetence and misplaced priorities. Law and bid has collapsed completely. How galore much shots earlier accountability,” helium asked.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) main Sukhbir Singh Badal said the incidental has erstwhile again shaken Punjab to its core. In a station successful Punjabi connected X, Badal said, “Under the state's inept government, the morale of criminals has risen to specified heights that they bash not hesitate to occurrence shots adjacent successful the mediate of a moving lucifer successful beforehand of the full crowd.
“It is the incompetence of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann that murders, extortions and galore different violent incidents are happening regular successful Punjab. Yet, alternatively of maintaining instrumentality and order, constabulary are focused connected implementing authorities orders related to governmental vendetta.”
Punjab BJP moving president Ashwani Sharma claimed the State has go truthful insecure contiguous that adjacent the kabaddi fields are nary longer harmless from bullets. “The incidental is adjacent much heartbreaking due to the fact that Rana had been joined recently. A joined beingness was mercilessly ended by gangster rule.”
He besides said this was not the archetypal specified incident.
“Previously, kabaddi players Sandeep Nangal Ambian and Tejpal Singh were brutally murdered. All these events marque 1 happening wide – Punjab's players are besides successful the crosshairs of gangsters nether the Bhagwant Mann government,” Mr. Sharma said connected X.
Mr. Sharma besides alleged that “under Bhagwant Mann's failed enactment and Arvind Kejriwal's remote-control authorities tally from Delhi, instrumentality and bid successful Punjab has wholly collapsed”.
“Criminals, gangsters, murderers and shooters are roaming freely without immoderate fear, portion the authorities is engaged with advertisements and mendacious claims. From villages to cities, from streets to stadiums – determination is an ambiance of fearfulness successful Punjab today,” helium alleged.
