In a shocking incident on Saturday evening, a Hindu activist identified as Vikas Bagga, also known as Vikas Prabhakar, was brutally murdered by two unidentified assailants at his confectionary shop in Patiala, Punjab.
According to eyewitnesses and reports, Bagga, who served as the President of the Nangal unit of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), was attacked around 4:47 pm. CCTV footage revealed that two men, one wearing a helmet and the other covering his face with a cloth, arrived at the victim’s shop.
The man with the helmet was observed entering the shop briefly, only to return within a minute. Bagga was later discovered in a pool of blood and was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital. However, he was pronounced dead upon arrival.
The assailants fled the scene on a scooter, which notably lacked a number plate, leaving behind a community in shock and uncertainty. The nature of the weapon used in the attack remains undisclosed.
In response to the heinous crime, supporters of the VHP and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) staged a protest on the Una-Chandigarh highway, demanding swift action from authorities to apprehend the perpetrators.
Expressing outrage over the incident, Dr. Parminder Singh, a prominent BJP figure, condemned the killing and criticised the state government, particularly the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), for failing to uphold law and order in Punjab.
Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar echoed similar sentiments, denouncing the murder as a “targeted killing” and accusing the government of negligence. “The government is sleeping,” he asserted, urging for immediate arrests of both the assailants and any involved conspirators.
Gulneet Singh Khurana, the Superintendent of Police (SSP) in Ropar, disclosed that an investigation has been initiated into the matter. He added that the details regarding the murder weapon would emerge following the postmortem examination. Empty cartridges were reportedly recovered from the crime scene.
Meanwhile, SHO Nangal Rajneesh Chaudhary informed the media, “The assailants wearing helmets and masks, fled the scene after fatally shooting Vikas Prabhakar.”
Law enforcement authorities are currently analysing CCTV footage to identify the culprits. A First Information Report (FIR) has been lodged for murder and common intention against the perpetrators.
Vikas, a father of two daughters, operated a shop in the Anandpur Sahib area and had recently assumed the role of VHP chief. The VHP has lambasted the state government, alleging a loss of control over law and order. They claim the murder was orchestrated to stoke tensions between Hindus and Sikhs.
Harpreet Singh Gill emphasised the need for immediate government intervention, demanding one crore rupees in compensation and employment for a family member of the victim. In protest, Punjab is slated for a two-hour shutdown on Monday.
Present at the protest were prominent figures, including Sham Lal Thukral, Satish Bansal, Ganesh Dutt Sharma, and Rohit Aroda.
Amidst rising tensions, memories of past atrocities resurface, including the 2009 assassination of National Sikh Sangat’s President Rulda Singh, the 2016 targeted killing of Jagdish Gagneja, and the 2017 murder of RSS leader Ravinder Gosain by Khalistani militants. Other incidents such as attacks on the Ludhiana Hari Singh branch and the Moga and Dubwali shootings remain a grim reminder of the persistent threat to peace and security in Punjab.
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