Life sentence for man who shot two over election feud

Ludhiana: A local court has sentenced Jagjit Singh Grewal to life imprisonment for a double murder after he shot dead two individuals with his pistol at a marriage palace in Doraha. The incident was reportedly fueled by previous enmity related to a Sarpanch election. The court of Additional Sessions Judge/Fast Track Court Sandeep Singh Bajwa also imposed a fine of ₹6,00,000 on the convict. Holding that no amount of money can compensate for the loss of life, the court granted ₹5,00,000 in total compensation—₹2,50,000 each—to be distributed equally among the legal heirs of the deceased, Balwant Singh and Gurpreet Singh. This amount shall be paid from the realized fine after the appeal period expires.On December 5, 2019, Doraha police booked Jagjit Singh Grewal, Gurjit Singh, Bharpur Singh, and Devinder Singh, all residents of Dhandra village, under IPC Sections 302 and 34, and the Arms Act. According to the prosecution, village Sarpanch Gurjeet Singh stated that on December 4, 2019, he attended a wedding at Kashmir Garden Palace on GT Road with Jagdev Singh, Balwant, and Gurpreet. The accused were also present. Around 5 pm, while Gurjeet and Jagdev were eating, Bharpoor Singh allegedly raised a "lalkara" (war cry) to finish Balwant. Jagjit subsequently fired at Balwant's chest. Following shouts from Gurjeet and Davinder to not leave Gurpreet as a witness, Jagjit fired twice more, hitting Gurpreet's chest and abdomen. Jagdev intervened, tackling Jagjit; during the scuffle, a shot hit Jagjit's shoulder. Both victims were later declared dead at a Ludhiana hospital.The police presented a chargesheet following their investigation, though the accused pleaded false implication during the trial. Both sides relied on CCTV footage as crucial evidence. After examining the records, the court established that an argument and scuffle occurred inside the hall. The footage confirmed the pistol was in Jagjit's possession and shots were fired while the weapon was in his hands. The court noted the pistol was only removed after the firing. As the defense version was disproved, the burden shifted to Jagjit to explain the deaths, which he failed to do.3 co-accused acquitted due to lack of evidenceThe court established Jagjit's responsibility for the murders but held that evidence was insufficient to prove co-accused Bharpoor, Gurjit, and Davinder shared common intention, as CCTV did not show their involvement in the firing. They were subsequently acquitted. The court further ruled the case did not fall into the "rarest of rare" category required for a death penalty.