Chandigarh: The district president of the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde), Mangat Rai Manga, was shot dead by unknown assailants in Punjab’s Moga city late on Thursday night.
Stating that an 11-year-old boy, identified as Thomas, who was going through the spot, sustained bullet injuries, police said that the incident took place around 10 pm when Manga was buying milk from a shop located near Gill Palace.
Quoting eyewitnesses, police said that the three armed assailants opened fire at Manga but the bullet missed him and hit the boy who was passing through the area. Though Manga immediately fled the spot on a two-wheeler, the assailants chased him and again fired at him on Stadium Road, before fleeing the spot.
Police said that though Manga was rushed to a hospital, he was declared dead by the doctors. The injured boy was rushed to Moga Civil Hospital and later referred to another hospital, police said.
Stating that her father had gone to the market to buy milk around 8 pm, Manga’s daughter said that it was around 11 pm that someone informed her that her father had been shot dead.
However, while the family members held that Manga did not have any dispute or rivalry with anyone, police held that they had booked six persons on the basis of a complaint lodged by Manga’s wife and an investigation into the case is underway.
Meanwhile, some local outfits and Manga’s family members also held a protest at Pratap Chowk in the town, against the government alleging collapse of law and order situation in the state and demanded immediate arrest of the accused.
Meanwhile, in another incident the same night, three motorcycle-borne assailants entered a salon in Bagiana Basti around 9 pm and fired two shots at the owner, Devender Kumar, injuring him in his leg. He was rushed to Moga civil hospital, police said and added that he was also later referred to another hospital.
