Punjab Newsline | Ludhiana
Police on Saturday claimed to have solved the murder case of former sarpanch Navtej Singh, revealing that a dispute over 1.5 kanal of land was the main motive behind the killing. Four people, including a father and son, have been named as accused in the case. Two of them have been arrested, while the other two remain absconding.
According to police, the shooter worked as a driver for a bread company and allegedly carried out the murder at the request of his friend. The case was cracked with the help of CCTV footage, call detail records (CDRs) and other technical evidence.
The arrested accused have been identified as Roop Singh and his son Jaswinder Singh alias Raja. The two are being questioned by the police. The absconding accused have been identified as Manjinder Singh alias Goru and Harpreet Singh alias Preet Singh.
Police teams have conducted raids at several possible hideouts to arrest the remaining suspects. Police have also said that action will be taken against anyone found sheltering the accused.
Navtej Singh Was Shot Dead While Returning Home
Navtej Singh was murdered on the evening of October 3. He had visited Manewal village to inspect work being carried out on his 30–35 acres of land. While returning to his home in Krishna Nagar, Ghumar Mandi, in his Toyota Innova, his vehicle turned from the Ladhowal toll plaza towards the South City Road flyover.
Near the Punjab Food Office, two motorcycle-borne assailants allegedly opened fire at his car, killing him.
Investigation Points to Land Dispute
During the initial investigation, police suspected a family feud and examined the possible involvement of Navtej Singh's paternal uncle. However, further investigation by the CIA staff and Ladhowal police, based on CCTV footage, call detail records and other technical evidence, reportedly pointed towards a land dispute as the main motive.
According to police, the murder was allegedly planned by a person who had a dispute with Navtej Singh over land. Investigators are continuing efforts to apprehend the two absconding accused and establish the roles of all those involved in the conspiracy.
