BJP's Dhillon Cites Footballer Murder, Extortion Firing in Attack on Mann Govtਢਿੱਲੋਂ ਨੇ ਫੁੱਟਬਾਲਰ ਦੇ ਕਤਲ ਦਾ ਹਵਾਲਾ ਦੇ ਕੇ ਮਾਨ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਉੱਤੇ ਹਮਲਾ ਕੀਤਾ

Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon on Saturday said law and order in the state had totally collapsed under Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, and demanded that Mann step down as home minister at once. Speaking in Chandigarh, Dhillon cited three cases reported within 24 hours: the murder of a 20-year-old footballer in Ludhiana, gunmen firing at a dairy in Bathinda over extortion money, and the Enforcement Directorate's arrest of a former senior officer in a Pathankot mining case. He said the Aam Aadmi Party government had 'forfeited every moral right to govern'.

The footballer found dead in Latala

The case that drew Dhillon's strongest reaction was the killing of Karanvir Singh, alias Gopi, a 20-year-old footballer from Latala village in Ludhiana district. Karanvir left home on his scooter at about 7 pm on November 10 to buy household rations and never returned. His family searched for him through the night and found his body the next morning near the village cremation ground, with a plastic sack stuffed in his mouth. His father, Balwinder Singh, told police he suspected Gurkirat Singh Ravi, a youth from the same village, who he said believed Karanvir was in touch with his sister. Police registered a murder case at Chappar police post under Jodhan police station and arrested Gurkirat Singh Ravi, who was sent to three days of police remand by a court. Police said the investigation was continuing and the role of others was being examined.

Firing at a Bathinda dairy

Dhillon's second example came from Bathinda's Bhagta Bhai Ka, where he said two armed shooters looted a motorcycle and opened fire at a dairy because the owner had not paid extortion money. Dhillon said gangsters were running a parallel extortion economy across Punjab while the chief minister was busy with political tours outside the state. He demanded a tough crackdown on extortion gangs and fast-track justice for the families affected.

The Pathankot mining arrest

In Pathankot, Dhillon said, the Enforcement Directorate has arrested a former additional deputy commissioner and a mining businessman in a case of illegal mining and fraudulent land transfers. The agency recovered Rs 1.75 crore in cash and froze 31 bank accounts, according to Dhillon. He said the case exposed the government's claims of wiping out the mining mafia and sought an independent probe into the political patronage behind the nexus.

What Dhillon demanded

"Day after day, the same grim script repeats itself across Punjab, yet the Bhagwant Mann government remains a mute spectator," Dhillon said. "Whether it is the blood of our young athletes spilling on village roads, traders facing bullets for refusing ransom, or senior administrative officers colluding with the mining mafia to loot crores, this regime has completely failed to stop the rot," he added. Dhillon demanded strict punishment for all the culprits in the three cases, fast-track justice and fair compensation for Karanvir Singh's family, and a crackdown on extortion gangs. The BJP has made law and order a central plank of its campaign ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections, and Dhillon's attack is the latest in a series of opposition charges against the Mann government on the issue.

Who was the footballer killed in Ludhiana?

Karanvir Singh, alias Gopi, a 20-year-old footballer from Latala village in Ludhiana district. His body was found near the village cremation ground on November 11, and police have arrested Gurkirat Singh Ravi on a murder charge.

What did Kewal Singh Dhillon demand?

Dhillon demanded that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann step down as home minister at once, and sought strict punishment for the culprits, fast-track justice and compensation for the footballer's family.

What were the other two cases Dhillon cited?

An extortion firing at a dairy in Bathinda's Bhagta Bhai Ka, and the Enforcement Directorate's arrest of a former additional deputy commissioner and a mining businessman in a Pathankot illegal mining case.