During the crackdown on network behind the killing of RSS karyakarta Naveen Arora, Punjab Police gunned down the prime accused Badal during a fierce encounter at a cremation ground in Fazilka. The early-morning confrontation involving hidden shooters, a police recovery team, and sudden gunfire marks the most significant breakthrough yet in a case that has gripped Ferozepur with tension and outrage.
The encounter unfolded when a special police party, including officers from the CIA wing, DSP City and DSP Detective, escorted Badal to Mamu Joya village for weapon recovery tied to Arora’s assassination. Acting on intelligence inputs, the team moved toward the village cremation ground, unaware that two armed shooters suspected to be part of the same hit squad were already lying in wait among the shadows.
As soon as the officers reached the site, the hidden assailants opened unprovoked and targeted fire, triggering chaos and forcing the police to respond with immediate retaliation. The first volley of bullets struck Head Constable Balaur Singh, injuring his arm. Amid the exchange, Badal himself was hit and fell to the ground. Both the injured policeman and the accused were rushed to Fazilka Civil Hospital, where Badal succumbed to his injuries.
The two shooters who opened fire slipped away during the crossfire, escaping despite intense retaliatory action a fact that has only intensified the police’s urgency and widened the dragnet.
DIG Ferozepur Range Harmanbir Singh confirmed the sequence of events, adding that investigators are examining whether Badal was fatally struck by bullets fired by the fleeing shooters or during the police’s response.
On November 15, around 7 pm, Naveen Arora son of senior RSS leader Baldev Raj Arora was riding home near the Baba Noor Shah Wali dargah when two motorcycle-borne assailants closed in behind him. One bullet hit his head. He died in a private hospital, sending shockwaves through the region and the RSS network.
Video evidence placed Badal and another suspect scouting Ferozepur’s main bazaar barely an hour before the assassination. Badal, wearing a white hoodie, was identified using facial recognition technology. His associate, clad in a black jacket, has been identified but not yet named publicly for tactical reasons.
Police detained members of Badal’s family on November 16 as the hunt intensified. The widening investigation has exposed a chillingly structured plot driven by alleged mastermind Gursimran Singh alias Jatin Kali. According to police, Gursimran assembled two shooter teams:
- Team 1: Badal and his unidentified accomplice
- Team 2: Harsh and Kannav
Both units conducted reconnaissance of Arora’s routes from November 13, tracking his movements and waiting for the right moment to strike. Harsh and Kannav served as a backup unit, ready to intervene if the primary hit team failed. Gursimran, who already had a violent history and previously fired on a police party in Ferozepur, was arrested on November 20 after another encounter in Arifke village.
