PHAGWARA: A quiet Wednesday night in Hadiyabad turned deadly when a routine gathering at a neighbourhood meeting point erupted into violence, leaving a young father fatally shot and the community shaken for the second time in a week.
Residents said Avinash, known locally for frequenting the Jhanjghar community space, had been sitting with acquaintances when a white Creta arrived carrying several youths. What began as a brief verbal exchange between the groups quickly spiralled into a confrontation. According to initial accounts, the argument was so minor that bystanders barely noticed—until gunfire shattered the calm.
Witnesses told police the assailants fired at Avinash from close range before speeding off, leaving the man critically wounded. He died at the scene before help could arrive.
Shock rippled through the neighbourhood as word spread. Relatives, struggling to comprehend the sudden loss, said Avinash leaves behind a young child. His brother recounted the moments leading up to the tragedy: “It was hardly even an argument. No one imagined it would turn into something like this,” he said, describing how the situation escalated in mere seconds.
Officers from the Satnampura police station cordoned off the area soon after the shooting and transported the body to the Civil Hospital for post-mortem procedures. Investigators have yet to identify the attackers, and no arrests had been made by Thursday morning.
The killing comes close on the heels of last week’s shooting outside the residence of AAP leader Daljit Raju in Darvesh village, deepening public unease over the spate of violence in the region.
SP Madhvi Sharma confirmed that specialised teams are analysing evidence and digital traces to establish the attackers’ identities. She said police are “using every modern investigative tool available” to piece together the sequence of events.
District police chief SSP Gaurav Toora vowed an uncompromising response once the shooters are tracked down, stressing that “those behind the crime will face strict action.”
As the investigation progresses, residents of Hadiyabad are left grappling with fear and frustration, calling for stronger measures to curb the growing trend of gun-related assaults. Police have increased surveillance in the area as the probe continues.
