2 dead, 2 critical after Punjab cop shoots family, self in Mansa

Gunman Gurvinder Singh and his teenage son, Jeet, died. His wife, Harpreet Kaur, and another son, Dilshan, sustained critical injuries. (Photo: Special arrangement)

A Punjab Police gunman posted with the Mansa deputy commissioner allegedly shot his wife and two minor sons before turning his service weapon on himself on Tuesday morning, officials said. Preliminary investigations suggest the incident stemmed from a family dispute.

While gunman Gurvinder Singh and his teenage son, Jeet, died, his wife, Harpreet Kaur, and another son, Dilshan, sustained critical injuries.

The incident occurred hours before Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s scheduled visit to Mansa to meet murdered anti-drug activist Parwinder Singh Jhota’s family.

All four family members were taken to the Civil Hospital in Mansa, where Gurvinder and Jeet were declared dead. Harpreet and Dilshan were referred to a private hospital in Bathinda for further treatment due to their critical condition, police sources said.

Just moved to new house

“We learnt of this incident at around 7 am and police teams reached the spot immediately. There had been a matrimonial dispute between Gurvinder and his wife for a long time, and perhaps in a fit of anger, he took this extreme step on Tuesday morning,” Vaibhav Chaudhary, Senior Superintendent of Police, Mansa, said.

The police said Gurvinder, who was in his mid-40s, had been on leave for the past two days. He had reportedly shifted to a newly built house on Mansa Road on Monday after moving belongings from his old residence in the city’s old area.

Chaudhary said Gurvinder allegedly used his service weapon to shoot his family members and then himself. The weapon has been seized by the police.

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The incident occurred amid heightened attention in Mansa ahead of Shah’s visit. An indefinite protest has been underway outside the Mansa Civil Hospital since October 13, following Jhota’s murder.