In a shocking incident, a 40-year-old man, Naveen Arora, an RSS Swayamsevak was shot dead by two unidentified assailants in Punjab’s Firozpur on the evening of November 15. Notably, Naveen’s late grandfather, Dina Nath, had served as the Sanghchalak of Firozpur, and his father is also a Swayamsevak.
Police said Naveen Arora had left his shop and was returning home to spend time with his children when the attackers opened fire at him near Budhwara Wala Mohalla. He died on the spot. Family members and local traders gathered at the location and expressed strong anger over the incident.
“Naveen was on his way home when two unidentified individuals shot him. Our team is investigating the case, and we are scanning CCTV footage,” said SSP Firozpur Bhupinder Singh Sidhu.
“We were all sitting and talking. Naveen goes out and returns every day to be with his kids. Barely five minutes after he left, a couple of boys rushed to inform us that someone had shot my son,” his father, Baldev Arora said.
CCTV footage from the locality shows two men running after the firing and fleeing the scene. Police said teams are working on the visuals to identify the attackers. SSP Firozpur Bhupinder Singh and MLA Ranbir Singh Bhullar visited the spot, stating that multiple teams have been formed to trace the shooters. The SSP assured that the attackers would be arrested soon.
Naveen Arora is survived by two young children. Trade Association President Ashwini Mehta and family members said Naveen had closed his shop and was heading home when the two assailants shot him. They demanded immediate arrests from the police.
Union Minister and BJP MP Ravneet Singh Bittu said the killing had shaken the entire state. “The broad-daylight, brutal murder of Naveen Arora in Ferozepur has not only shattered the Arora family but has shaken the entire state of Punjab. Such a horrific incident taking place at the home of senior RSS volunteer and respected social worker Shri Baldev Raj Arora is a glaring reminder that criminals have become fearlessly emboldened. People today feel increasingly unsafe, and the need for strict action and real justice in the state is being felt more urgently than ever before. The BJP will take some serious course because these crimes are happening day by day and the Govt is failing utterly to control it”, he said.
Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar on November 16 alleged that Naveen’s murder has once again exposed the AAP government’s failure to maintain law and order in the state.
In a press statement, Jakhar alleged that gangsters are running a parallel Government in the state, while chief minister Bhagwant Mann had failed to fulfil his responsibilities and had left Punjab abandoned.
Expressing grief over the death of the RSS swayamsevak, he said that the people of Punjab were being forced to live in an atmosphere of fear as the state government had completely failed to provide law and order and security to the citizens.
Jakhar said that every day, people were receiving threatening and extortion calls, and some serious incident was taking place in one part of the state or another. “Anti-social elements no longer fear the government because those running the government lack even the basic understanding of governance. People in Punjab are desperately seeking safety and peace,” he claimed.
Reacting to the incident, BJP leader Sukhminderpal Singh Grewal said, “I strongly condemn the cowardly, gutter-born criminals who dared to unleash bullets in broad daylight in Ferozepur’s Mochi Bazaar, murdering Naveen Arora, son of senior RSS leader Baldev Raj Arora.” He alleged that the attackers “sprayed bullets at a hardworking shopkeeper heading home,” causing panic across the area. He demanded swift action, saying, “Enough of hollow assurances. Show results.”
Notably, Naveen was shot in the head and died on the spot. After committing the murder, the assailants fled towards the Ban Bazaar area of the city. The sound of gunfire triggered chaos in the market. Swadeshi Jagran Manch’s Prachar Pramukh Arun Berry said the deceased Naveen was the grandson of Dina Nath Arora, who was the Nagar Sanghchalak at the time of Independence. Naveen ran a cosmetics shop in Mochi Bazaar. The attackers shot him near the UCO Bank. He was rushed to a private hospital in Firozpur, where doctors declared him dead during examination.
According to media reports, a Khalistani organisation has claimed responsibility for the murder. The group is identified as “Sher-e-Punjab Brigade,” which allegedly posted on social media claiming, “We have ‘corrected’ (killed) the son of the leader of a gang trying to merge Sikhs into Hindutva in Punjab.” The post further issued a threat that the “struggle will continue until Khalistan is formed.”
However, there has been no official confirmation of this post, and the name of the organisation has surfaced for the first time. The post is also being viewed as an attempt to mislead the investigation. Police and intelligence agencies have begun probing this angle.
On November 16, the last rites of Naveen Arora, were performed at the city cremation ground at around 5 pm.
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