Only witness in Sukha Kahlwan murder case shot dead in Kapurthala

A case was registered at the Dhilwan police station under sections 103 (murder) and 61 (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and other arms offences; police said they were scanning CCTV near the crime spot to collect technical evidence.

Foreign-based gangster Doni Bal claimed responsibility for Nijjar’s murder through a social media post, saying he was working for rival gang members. HT could not independently verify the post.

Gurpreet Singh, alias Gopi Nijjar, a close associate of Sukha Kahlwan and the only witness in Sukha Kahlwan's murder case, was shot dead around 3:45 am while sitting alone in his car parked on the Amritsar-Jalandhar national highway near Dhilwan. He was taken to a nearby hospital where doctors declared him brought dead. Preliminary investigation indicated multiple shots fired from the front, hitting Nijjar’s upper body. Nijjar reportedly had a criminal history including two arms and drugs cases and a robbery bid. Police formed multiple teams and began scanning CCTV cameras near the crime spot.

In 2022, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar police arrested seven persons allegedly hired by a US-based NRI Amritpal Singh to eliminate Nijjar.

In 2019, eight of the accused were acquitted by a Kapurthala court for want of evidence; the acquittal was challenged before the Punjab and Haryana high court, and the matter remains sub-judice.

Sukhbir Singh Kahlon, alias Sukha Kahlwan, was gunned down by at least 14 assailants who filmed the act and danced around the body in Phagwara, while a team of six cops were taking him back to Nabha jail after a hearing in Jalandhar.