Gunmen fire 8 rounds at Phagwara sweet shop, extortion suspected

Three unidentified scooter-borne miscreants opened fire at a sweet shop on the Phagwara-Hoshiarpur road in the early hours of Monday, triggering panic in the town.

The incident occurred at 6.45am, shortly after workers had opened Sudhir Sweets. Police said the attackers, who arrived on a Honda Activa scooter, fired at least eight rounds at the shop’s main entrance, shattering glass windows and door panes.

While the shop owner and several workers were present inside at the time of the incident, no injuries were reported. The attackers fled the scene immediately after the shooting.

The incident occurred just hours before chief minister Bhagwant Mann was scheduled to visit Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Kapurthala district.

Senior police officials, including Phagwara superintendent of police (SP) Madhvi Sharma, reached the spot to supervise the investigation. “We have recovered eight empty cartridges from the site. CCTV footage from the shop and nearby areas is being scanned to track the movement of the accused,” she said.

Police sources confirmed they are investigating a potential extortion angle behind the attack.

The firing sparked a sharp reaction from the opposition, who questioned the state of law and order in Punjab.

Phagwara Congress MLA Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal took to X to slam the government. “Another day, another law and order failure. The firing incident… is deeply alarming. Punjab govt’s so-called claims on law and order stand exposed yet again. Public safety cannot be compromised. Accountability is needed now. The DGP must answer,” he posted.

BJP state president Sunil Jakhar also targeted the AAP leadership, citing AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal’s past claims of eliminating gangster culture. “The gangsters seem to be daring the police and the government itself… earlier as well, in Phagwara, a similar spate of indiscriminate firing had taken place at the residence of AAP leader Daljit Singh Raju. Is the AAP government even capable of doing anything, or have the people been left at the mercy of gangsters?” Jakhar said.

Former Union minister Som Parkash, who visited the spot, said such incidents have created a sense of insecurity among residents and demanded immediate arrests.