AAP activist Gurpreet Singh Gopi shot dead in Punjab’s Mamdot; election dispute under probe

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) activist Gurpreet Singh Gopi was shot dead after unidentified armed men allegedly chased the motorcycle he was travelling on and opened fire in Mamdot, around 24 km from Ferozepur, on Saturday night, police said.

Ferozepur Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Bhupinder Singh Sidhu said Gopi was travelling with his associate Harpreet when the attackers allegedly pursued them in a car and opened fire.

Both Gopi and Harpreet suffered bullet injuries. Gopi was declared dead on arrival at the hospital, while Harpreet is undergoing treatment.

The SSP said a long-standing dispute between the two groups appeared to have triggered the attack. However, investigators are also examining a possible election-related dispute as a key angle.

Police said several friends of Gopi and Harpreet, including Vicky Maini, president of the Mamdot Nagar Panchayat, were travelling behind them in another car. The assailants allegedly fired at that vehicle as well, but those inside escaped unharmed.

Gopi’s sister-in-law had recently won the Nagar Panchayat election from Ward No. 5.

“Both parties had an old dispute. The attackers have been identified and multiple police teams have been formed. We will arrest them as soon as possible,” SSP Sidhu said.

He added that the main accused, whose identity has not been disclosed, has a criminal background.

Police teams are conducting raids at multiple locations to trace the accused. Investigators are also examining CCTV footage and other evidence to establish the sequence of events and determine the motive behind the killing.