Kapurthala: A 27-year-old local-level wrestler was shot dead while bursting firecrackers outside his home in Mohalla Mehtabgarh on Monday night (November 9), in the Kapurthala City police station area, Punjab E News reported on Tuesday. The deceased was identified as Mani, son of Bagga Singh. Friends rushed him to hospital on a scooter, but doctors declared him dead on arrival.

Source: Punjab E News

According to the report, Mani was bursting firecrackers near his house at around 8 p.m. when two local youths arrived at the spot and allegedly fired two shots at him with a pistol. One bullet hit him in the chest. The report names the two youths as Komal and Mani; the allegations against them have not been tested in court. Aaj Samaaj's Punjab coverage carried the same incident, reporting that Mani was shot in the chest while bursting firecrackers outside his home and was declared dead at hospital.

Source: Aaj Samaaj

Police: case registered, raids under way, and the bullet was meant for someone else

City police reached the spot after receiving information about the firing and recovered two empty cartridges from the scene. DSP Sheetal Singh said a case had been registered based on a complaint by the deceased's family and an investigation was under way. Several police teams are conducting raids to arrest the accused, whose identities have been established, he said.

The DSP said Mani had no known dispute with the accused, and that the suspects had allegedly fired at someone else — Mani was accidentally hit by a bullet. A summary by The Logical Indian, citing a Times of India account of the DSP's remarks, likewise reported that the dispute involved two groups and that a neighbour of Mani was allegedly the intended target. Mani's father Bagga told reporters the family had no known enmity with anyone.

Mani had married around six months ago and was the only brother among four sisters. DSP Sheetal Singh said the complete sequence of events is expected to become clear after the accused are arrested. No arrest had been reported at the time of these reports.