Ex-SOPU chief Gurlal Brar shot dead in Industrial Area

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 11

A 26-year-old former state president of the Student Organisation of Panjab University (SOPU) was shot dead by three unidentified motorcycle-borne assailants outside City Emporium Mall, Industrial Area, Phase I, here last night.

The victim, identified as Gurlal Brar, was an acquaintance of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.

Gurlal and his friends had come to Playboy, a nightclub at Emporium Mall, for a party on Saturday night. After sometime, Gurlal left for Paara, another night club, at Centra Mall to celebrate a woman friend’s birthday.

The police said Gurlal left Paara around 12.15 am after telling his friends that he would leave his SUV near City Emporium Mall for his friends who were partying at Playboy. “While leaving, Gurlal told his friends at Paara to pick him up from outside the mall after 10 minutes,” the police said.

Gurlal reached the mall. While he was parking his SUV on the roadside, a security guard of the mall asked him to park the vehicle somewhere else.

Gurlal then drove the SUV on to the pavement opposite the mall. While he was sitting in the SUV waiting for his friends, two motorcycle-borne assailants opened fire at him around 12.20 am. While two assailants walked up to the SUV to shoot Gurlal, the third one waited on the motorcycle. Police sources said at least six shots were fired apparently from a .32-bore pistol, of which three hit the victim. He was shot in the neck, shoulder and hand.

The assailants escaped from the spot on the motorcycle. The security guard, who was present at the mall entrance, didn’t hear the gunshots.

The police said when the victim’s friends arrived at the spot to pick him up they saw him lying in a pool of blood. His head was resting on the steering wheel. They thought that Gurlal might have met with an accident as the SUV was parked on the pavement.

One of Gurlal’s friends called a bouncer who works at a club. He reached there and they all rushed Gurlal to the PGI where the doctors declared him brought dead. “On reaching the hospital, the victim’s friends came to know that he was shot,” said a police official.

The police came to know about the incident after a police patrol party saw the SUV with the pieces of the driver side windowpane scattered on the road. Police teams then started an investigation.

The footage of CCTV cameras installed outside the mall as well as at the showrooms nearby is being scrutinised by the police.

Police officials said personal rivalry angle in the case was being probed.

A murder case has been registered at the Industrial Area police station on a complaint by Vikas Tiwari, a valet parking driver of the mall.

Gurlal, who was a native of Kotkapura in Faridkot, was residing in Mohali.

On Facebook, Group claims responsibility

Later in the evening, members of the Davinder Bambiha group took the responsibility of Gurlal’s murder through a Facebook post. The post read that Gurlal was killed at the behest of Lucky to avenge Lavi Deora’s murder. Deora was killed in July 2017 at Kotkapura, allegedly by members of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.

Victim’s connect with Lawrence Bishnoi

Although Gurlal was not a student of PU, he actively participated in the party’s activities on the campus. He had support from gangster Lawrence Bishnoi’s group. Gurlal had also shared Bishnoi’s pictures on his FB profile.

Was booked by UT police in Sept

The police said two girls known to Gurlal had an argument with other girls outside a mall. The two girls called Gurlal to the spot. Gurlal and his friend reached there and had a heated argument following which a girl was slapped. A case under Section 354 (assault or criminal force against woman with intent to outrage her modesty) was registered against Gurlal and his friend at the Industrial Area police station. While Gurlal was absconding in the case, his friend was arrested.