Daijiworld Media Network - Chandigarh
Chandigarh, Mar 18: A 31-year-old property dealer was shot dead in broad daylight outside a gym in the high-security and upscale Sector 9, Chandigarh area on Wednesday, sparking panic among residents and visitors.
The victim, identified as Charanpreet Singh, was a resident of New Chandigarh. According to preliminary police information, two unidentified men arrived on a motorcycle and opened fire at close range before fleeing the scene.
Police said Singh had come to the Body Zone Gym. As he was about to enter his car in the nearby parking area, the attackers fired at least eight rounds at him.
He suffered multiple gunshot wounds, including injuries to his arm and torso, and collapsed inside his vehicle. Eyewitnesses reported that Singh slumped over the driver’s seat immediately after the shooting.
His associates rushed him to the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGI) in Chandigarh, but he died on the way due to excessive blood loss.
Investigators said the motive behind the killing remains unclear, though preliminary suspicion points to possible personal or business rivalry.
The incident comes less than 24 hours after another firing episode in the city. On Tuesday night, armed men reportedly entered the campus of Panjab University on a two-wheeler and fired two rounds into the air near the Department of Botany while threatening a former student leader who was present there.
Police believe that incident may be linked to gang rivalry. The suspects allegedly fled the campus after snatching a motorcycle at gunpoint.
Following the shooting, multiple police teams and forensic experts from the Forensic Science Laboratory were deployed at the scene. CCTV footage from around the university reportedly showed four suspects escaping, prompting authorities to expand their search operation.
Soon after the campus firing, gangster Doni Bal and his associate Shaganpreet—believed to be linked to the Bambiha gang—allegedly claimed responsibility on social media for targeting a leader associated with the Students Organisation of Panjab University (SOPU). They also issued threats against anyone joining the group.
Police are now investigating whether the two incidents are connected while intensifying efforts to trace the attackers.