Three men from Gurdaspur district, killed in an encounter in Uttar Pradesh, were residents of villages located within a 15-kilometer radius of the Indo-Pak border.
Varinder Singh, from Agwan village, was known for his association with bad company and addiction, with a family history of smuggling. Gurwinder Singh, from Kalanaur town, and Jashandeep Singh, from Nikka Shoor village, came from poor families.
Varinder Singh
Twenty-three-year-old Varinder Singh lived with his mother in Agwan village. His father, a known drug smuggler with multiple cases against him, died about 15 years ago. Varinder’s brother lived separately.
Unmarried and unemployed, Varinder owned less than an acre of land and was reportedly in contact with gangsters.
“Recently, there was an attack on the Bakshiwala police check post, allegedly involving a gangster named Manu. Some young men from our village were in touch with him, and Varinder was suspected to be among them,” said Inderjit Singh, Sarpanch of Agwan.
He alleged, “Varinder’s father, Ranjit Singh, was a smuggler with several cases against him. Varinder was also an addict and was known to sell banned drugs. Everyone in the village knew about his bad company. Many believe it was his main source of income since he only owned half an acre of land.”
Inderjit further revealed that drug smuggling was rampant in the village. “Around 10-15 cases are registered against individuals here, and three are currently in jail,” he said.
Gurwinder Singh
Gurwinder Singh, from Kalanaur, was the only child of his parents. He had been missing for five days, and his family was searching for him when they received the news of his death.
His father, Gurdev Singh, said, “The police informed us today that he was shot dead. They had never visited our house before, and now they came only to tell us about his death. He hadn’t been home for five days, and his phone was switched off.”
The family claimed Gurwinder had no prior criminal record. “We live in a rented house. I am a labourer, and I don’t understand how my son was involved in anything that led to his death,” Gurdev said.
His mother, Paramjit Kaur, said, “He used to go out with friends but always returned home by evening. Both Jashandeep Singh and Varinder Singh were known to him.”
She also revealed that Gurwinder had been involved in a murder case. “Once, he went swimming in a canal with his friends. One of them drowned, and all seven others, including my son, were booked for murder. The case was pending in court, and he was out on bail,” she said.
Jashandeep Singh
Jashandeep Singh, from Nikka Shoor village, had been married just three months ago. He had been missing since last Tuesday, and his family said he had gone as a helper on a truck for the first time since his marriage.
His mother, Paramjit Kaur, said, “He left with a truck last Tuesday. His phone was switched off, and we only learned about the encounter this morning. I have five children—two daughters and three sons. All of them are labourers. Jashandeep never went to school. We are poor—just look at our home,” she told the media.
“We tried calling him repeatedly since he left. He wouldn’t do something like this. We even told him to find work nearby, but he insisted on going on the truck,” she added.
A former Sarpanch, Inderjit Singh, said, “The family is known to be good and hardworking. We’ve never heard anything negative about them. We are shocked by the news of Jashandeep being killed in the encounter. A proper investigation is needed to find out what really happened.”
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