In a shocking incident, a 32-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, Dinanath Arora had served as the Nagar 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. “We were all sitting and talking. Naveen goes out and returns every day to be with his kids in afternoon. 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 showed two men running after the firing and fleeing the scene. Police said teams are working on the visuals to identify the attackers. The footage also showed the suspect spending over 30 minutes in the market before executing the shooting, underscoring the premeditated nature of the crime.
Swayamsevaks on Radar
For decades, Punjab has witnessed a disturbing pattern of targeted attacks on RSS Swayamsevaks. From the 1989 Moga massacre to assassination of Naveen Arora, terror outfits have repeatedly attempted to silence voices rooted in national unity and social harmony.
- June 25, 1989: Thirty-six years ago, Khalistani terrorists opened fire on RSS swayamsevaks participating in the daily Shakha at Jawahar Lal Nehru Park in Punjab’s Moga, killing 25 Swayamsevaks and injuring 35. According to eyewitnesses, the Khalistani terrorists had asked the RSS swayamsevaks to remove the Sangh’s Bhagwa Dhwaj. The Swayamsevaks refused to bow to their demand. Angered by this defiance, the Khalistani separatists began firing indiscriminately.
- 2009: Rulda Singh, president of the Rashtriya Sikh Sangat, was assassinated in Patiala by the Khalistan Liberation Force and Babbar Khalsa.
- August 6, 2016: Brigadier Jagdish Gagneja, RSS’s Jalandhar Prant Sah-Sanghchalak killed. Investigation into the murder still on
- October 17, 2017: RSS swayamsevak Ravinder Gosai was assassinated in Ludhiana; links traced to foreign handlers.
- April 13, 2024: VHP leader Vikas Prabhakar was murdered in Nangal. The NIA is investigating, with ISI connections emerging in the probe.
- November 15, 2025: Naveen Arora was murdered in Firozpur by bike-borne assailants.
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 swayamsevak and respected social worker Shri Baldev Raj Arora is a glaring reminder that criminals have become fearlessly emboldened,” 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 abandoned Punjab.
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. 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. He is survived by two young children.
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 letter has been signed in the name of ‘Paramjit Singh’. The letter-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. Till now, 10 persons have been rounded up by the local police so far, and multiple teams are working to trace the remaining suspects and establish the exact motive behind the murder.
Systemic lapses
The latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) 2023 report paints a troubling picture of Punjab’s persistent struggle with narcotics and prison management. Despite continued efforts to combat addiction, the state remains a major node in the drug supply. Punjab recorded the highest rate of drug-smuggling cases in the country at 25.3 per lakh population. The state also reported the highest number of drug overdose deaths for the second consecutive year, in 2022 and 2023.
Punjab also topped the country in unnatural prison deaths. It accounted for the highest number of under-trials booked under the NDPS Act, housing 8,170 detainees, which represents 17.8 per cent of all such under-trials in Indian jails.
In terms of absconders from Jail, Punjab ranked third, with 31 individuals failing to return. Adding to the concern, Punjab recorded the highest number of violent clashes inside prisons, with 59 incidents, along with significant road safety issues.
