Eight sentenced to life imprisonment in Punjab panchayat land dispute murder case

Chandigarh: A Fatehgarh Sahib court in Punjab has sentenced eight individuals, including two sons of former Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Swaran Singh Chanarthal, to life imprisonment in a 2020 murder case linked to a panchayat land dispute.

The incident occurred on June 24, 2020, in Chanarthal Khurd village, where armed assailants in three vehicles opened fire, killing Kulwinder Singh and injuring four others, including village sarpanch Gurbaj Singh. The attackers were armed with 12-bore guns, revolvers, and sharp-edged weapons.

The convicted individuals—Gurmukh Singh, Balwinder Singh, Arshdeep Singh, Gurjeet Singh, another Gurmukh Singh, Kulwant Singh, Jagdeep Singh, and Jasdeep Singh—were found guilty under sections 302, 307, 325, 323, 506, 148, 149, and 120B of the Indian Penal Code, along with provisions of the Arms Act. Gurmukh Singh and Balwinder Singh are the sons of Swaran Singh.

One of the accused was already in custody, while the remaining seven were taken into judicial custody on January 28. The court’s decision on a compensation demand by the victim’s family is still awaited.