Gurpreet Singh Gopi, an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader, was shot dead in Mamdot town of Ferozepur district on Saturday after four armed assailants chased down his motorcycle in a car and opened fire, police said.
Gopi, 45, was on the bike with another man, identified as Harpreet, 22, when the attackers caught up with them and fired. Some of Gopi's associates, who were following behind in a separate vehicle, were also fired upon, police added, NDTV reported.
The injured were rushed to the Civil Hospital where the AAP leader was declared brought dead, while Harpreet was referred to a private hospital in Ludhiana.
Senior Superintendent of Police Bhupinder Singh Sidhu said the assailants have since been identified, and that the attack appeared to stem from a long-standing dispute between the two sides, with an election-related angle also being examined as part of the investigation.
"The attackers have been identified... we will arrest them as soon as possible," Sidhu said, adding that the main accused has a criminal background and a history of involvement in unlawful activities.
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Multiple police teams have been formed, and raids are under way at several locations in the hunt for the accused, officials said.
Investigators are also working to piece together the complete sequence of events, including the circumstances under which fire was opened on the vehicle carrying Gopi's associates.
The killing has stirred fresh concern over law and order in Punjab, and the suspected election dimension to the dispute is likely to draw political attention in the coming days.
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