Chandigarh, Feb 6 (PTI) Punjab police DGP Gaurav Yadav on Friday visited Jalandhar and held a review with senior officers, hours after local AAP leader Lucky Oberoi was shot dead by an unidentified assailant, and said the investigators have got many leads in the incident.
When asked by reporters whether the shooting could be linked to personal enmity or student politics, the DGP acknowledged that various theories have emerged in the investigation.
“This is one theory of the crime. The police are also exploring this angle,” he stated, while emphasising that no evidence of organised crime has been found so far.
Regarding the identification of the shooters, the DGP refrained from sharing specific details but confirmed that the police have multiple leads.
He also addressed an unverified social media post allegedly from gangster Jograj Singh, alias Joga Pholriwal, claiming responsibility for the attack. “We will investigate this properly and track the IP address of the post. Whoever committed this crime will face exemplary punishment,” he assured.
The unverified post made various allegations against Oberoi and suggested that he was killed due to personal enmity.
Oberoi was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Jalandhar’s Model Town around 7:30 a.m. on Friday, as he was leaving the location in his SUV. CCTV footage captured the moment when an assailant in a black hoodie approached Oberoi as he entered his vehicle and opened fire before fleeing on a scooter with an accomplice.
Oberoi suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was rushed to a hospital in an unconscious state, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
Jalandhar police commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur informed that preliminary investigations found that both accused, wearing black hoodies, fled from the scene on an Activa scooter.
A case has been registered under Sections 103(1) (murder), 3(5) and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Sections 25 and 27 of the Arms Act at Police Station Division 6 in Jalandhar Commissionerate, officials said.
DGP Yadav visited the crime scene to assess the situation firsthand and assured that the investigation is being carried out in a professional and scientific manner. He noted that police teams are collecting mobile tower data to advance the investigation through technical analysis. “We have reviewed the investigations conducted so far and are monitoring all movements of the suspects,” he stated, adding that technical and digital trails are being used to trace their movements.
Theories of crime which have come to the fore are being explored as well, he added.
The DGP informed that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has been updated about the case, and “the perpetrators of this crime will receive exemplary punishment according to the law,” he said. When asked if Oberoi had previously expressed concerns for his safety, the DGP replied, “We will examine all angles.” He further mentioned that while no angle of organised crime has surfaced so far, the involvement of criminals is becoming clear and will be investigated thoroughly.
While the specific weapon used in the crime is still under investigation, the DGP reported a concerning rise in illegal arms trafficking, partially attributed to increased drone activity across the border following Operation Sindoor in May of last year.
“After Operation Sindoor, there has been an increase of 400 per cent in illegal weapons coming from Pakistan, and mostly Glock weapons are coming through drones. We are ready to bust organised criminal gangs…they have nexus with Pak-based intelligence officers, with ISI,” he said.
In response to concerns about the use of social media by criminals, the DGP noted that last year, under Section 79-B of the IT Act, the police issued notices to social media platforms regarding 12,000 URLs, resulting in the removal of 8,000 URLs. PTI SUN MPL MPL
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.