Lawlessness Grips Punjab: Textile Merchant Sanjay Verma Shot Dead in Broad Daylight in Abohar

Punjab’s growing descent into lawlessness was once again laid bare on Monday morning, when prominent textile merchant and social worker Sanjay Verma was brazenly gunned down outside his showroom in Abohar.

The chilling daylight murder has sent shockwaves through the local business community and further intensified concerns over rising crime in the border state.

 

According to officials, Verma, co-owner of ‘New Wear Well Gents Tailor’, had just parked his car near his shop around 10:15 am when three masked assailants opened fire on him at point-blank range. He collapsed on the spot and was later declared dead at the local civil hospital.

 

Eyewitnesses reported a chaotic scene as the attackers tried to flee on a motorcycle, only to skid a short distance away. Undeterred, the trio hijacked another bike from a passerby and fled, their escape caught on multiple CCTV cameras in the vicinity.

Surveillance footage shows the masked gunmen loitering in the area moments before the assassination, underscoring a calculated plan executed with impunity.

 

The killing has sparked widespread fear and anger in Abohar. A large crowd gathered outside the hospital mortuary as Verma’s body was sent for post-mortem.

Business leaders and locals expressed outrage over the apparent breakdown of law and order, demanding justice and stronger protection for entrepreneurs who now feel like sitting targets.

Further inflaming tensions, gangster Aarzoo Bishnoi—a known associate of jailed criminal Lawrence Bishnoi and his brother Anmol—claimed responsibility for the murder via social media.

Authorities are probing the link, suspecting the motive could be tied to ongoing extortion threats against businessmen in the region.

In a bid to contain the fallout, police have sealed all entry and exit points of Abohar and launched a massive manhunt for the killers. Security has been ramped up, and investigators are analysing CCTV footage from across the town to trace the attackers’ escape route.

Local MLA Amandeep Singh Goldy rushed to the hospital to meet the grieving family and offer condolences. Meanwhile, trade associations across the town have called for a complete shutdown of markets in protest, demanding swift justice and meaningful government intervention to stem the tide of violence.

The incident has also triggered a political storm. The BJP launched a scathing attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, accusing it of abdicating its responsibility to ensure basic public safety.

“This broad daylight murder is yet another grim reminder that Punjab’s law and order machinery has collapsed completely,” said Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar in a statement on X.

“The silence of the AAP government only emboldens criminals. CM Bhagwant Mann must answer who is responsible for this shameful blot on Punjab’s reputation.”

With public confidence in security deteriorating, Monday’s killing underscores an urgent need for a decisive crackdown on organised crime and meaningful efforts to restore law and order in Punjab.