'Go collect his body': Assailants' chilling message to family of former kabaddi player shot dead in Ludhiana

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• Ex-kabaddi player Gagandeep Singh shot dead in Ludhiana village rivalry
• Assailants dumped the victim's body in a field and asked kin to collect it
• AAP Jagraon MLA said Gagandeep used to promote underprivileged youth to play kabaddi

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In a chilling incident from Ludhiana, assailants shot dead a former kabaddi player and drove straight to his home to deliver a cold-blooded message: "... Go collect his body". The murder marks the third brazen killing in Punjab in just three days.

Gagandeep Singh alias Gagna was murdered at Manuke village on Monday when he was with a friend Ekam. Assailants, who arrived on motorbikes and opened fire at the ex-Kabbadi star, dumped his body in a nearby field.

According to Ludhiana Rural SSP Ankur Gupta, Gagandeep sustained at least three bullet injuries. One of the five accused named by the family has been arrested.

"Some of our family members were standing outside in the street when the assailants came and screamed - 'tuhada banda maar ta, chak lo jaake' (we have killed your boy, go and pick up his body). This is nothing but lawlessness," The Indian Express said quoting the victim's father Gurdeep Singh Bagga.

According to Bagga (60), the accused had a rivalry with his son's friend Ekam. "My son was trying to mediate between Ekam and the assailants but they shot him dead," he added. The former Kabaddi player was working as a labourer at a rice sheller.

Navpreet Kaur, the victim's wife, said that Gagandeep and Ekam played kabbadi together but the assailants were against it.

"On December 31, the accused had attacked Ekam with swords. Today (Monday), they called more men and shot my husband dead," said Navpreet.

Ludhiana range DIG Satinder Singh called the incident 'a village-level rivalry' and confirmed that no issue related to kabaddi has surfaced so far.

"The main accused has been identified as Gursewak Singh alias Motu. Both groups first had a petty clash due to the village-level rivalry in the morning. Later in the afternoon, Gursewak Singh alias Motu returned with several accomplices and opened fire. Both Gagandeep and Gursewak are from same village. We have already arrested one of the accused named by the family and the rest will be arrested soon. Prima facie, the victim sustained three bullet injuries, said the DIG.

Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) Jagraon MLA Sarvjit Kaur Manuke, who is a native of Manuke, told The Indian Express that Gagandeep used to promote underprivileged youths from the village to play kabaddi.

"The accused were targeting Ekam but Gagandeep stood in his favour due to which they shot him dead. Gagandeep is survived by three children. What was their fault? The situation is very bad. Our Punjabi youths have become directionless. Nothing comes out of such hooliganism except bodies. A family has lost its breadwinning son. I have told the SSP that such hooliganism won't be tolerated anymore," the AAP MLA said.