Nakodar businessman’s killing shocks kin, traders’ fraternity

Tribune News Service

Aparna Banerji

Jalandhar, December 8

While the high-profile murders of singer Sidhu Moosewala and Kabaddi player Sandeep Singh Nangal Ambiyan sent shockwaves across the state, what has shocked the traders’ fraternity, family and friends of deceased Timmi Chawla, aka Bhupinder Chawla, is that it’s the first time a relatively low-profile upper middle class family has been targeted for extortion and murder by gangsters. This has reinforced concerns about the law and order in the region.

“If a trader who wasn’t even too rich was so unsafe, what hope does a common man have?” said Timmi’s relatives. Even though repeated complaints were made to the local police station, the DSP, SDM and the DGP even, the fateful incident finally took place on Wednesday night.

The murder has also sent panic amidst the trader community in Nakodar which was already apprehensive after the Sandeep Nangal Ambiyan murder.

In a letter sent to the DGP on November 8, activist Gaurav Jain and councillor Hemant Sharma raised serious concerns about law and order in Nakodar. “Untoward incidents are taking place in the city. In the past few days, Rs 30-lakh ransom has been demanded from a prominent cloth merchant in the city via WhatsApp… there is an atmosphere of fear and terror… there has also been a dramatic increase in the incidents of loots and thefts in the city (Nakodar),” they wrote.

Timmi’s cousin Shaify Chawla said, “We intimated the police regularly. After the first call, we were shocked as we never thought our family could come on the gangsters’ radar. In past one month, the WhatsApp number from which the calls came, couldn’t be traced. What also surprises us is that there are 200 traders in Nakodar richer than us. But the gangsters targeted us. This causes a deep feeling of insecurity. What else can we ask for now. No amount of security can bring back our family member. But our only demand is that the perpetrators be caught so that this isn’t repeated with anyone else.”

There are rumours of other Nakodar traders having been targeted, as is also claimed in one of the audios. Narinder Singh, a neighbourhood shop owner of Timmi Chawla, said: “Timmi’s killing is unfortunate. It has caused fear. Traders want to go about their business peacefully. We hope the police catch the culprits soon.”

Activist Gaurav Jain said: “Hitherto the perception was that only very famous or wealthy people are targeted by gangsters. But Timmi’s killing changes that. People are scared. There is immediate need that this evil is nipped in the bud.”

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