Punjab: RTI activist Simranjit Singh shot dead in Jalandhar

Punjab: RTI activist Simranjit Singh shot dead in Jalandhar

Simranjit Singh, a lawyer and right to information (RTI) activist from Jalandhar, was shot dead on Saturday.

The incident took place near Chaheru village on the Jalandhar-Ludhiana National Highway.

His body was discovered in a secluded area behind the Lovely Professional University (LPU) campus.

Senior police officials and forensic teams have reached the spot to launch an investigation into the murder.

Singh recently moved the high court against Punjab's controversial anti-sacrilege law.

Case registered against unidentified assailants

Jalandhar range deputy inspector general (DIG) Naveen Singla confirmed that police were called to the spot after receiving information about a body with gunshot wounds.

"We recovered a .32-bore pistol near the body, and a .12-bore rifle was confiscated from a Toyota Fortuner SUV parked near the crime scene," Singla said.

A case has been registered for murder and under the Arms Act against unidentified assailants.

SAD president Sukhbir Badal reacts

The targeted killing of Singh has drawn sharp reactions from opposition parties.

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal slammed the incident as a "direct attack on democracy and transparency."

He demanded an independent investigation into the matter, blaming Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for the deteriorating law and order situation in Punjab.

Congress MLA Partap Singh Bajwa slams Punjab government

Leader of the opposition and Congress MLA Partap Singh Bajwa also condemned the killing. He called it a brutal reminder of institutional failure under the Bhagwant Mann-led government.

"From gangsters to shooters, criminals seem to be operating without fear while the government remains busy with publicity and headlines," Bajwa said, demanding justice, security, and accountability for Punjab.