Ludhiana: Auto driver, son arrested for plotting murder over land dispute

Father and Son Held in Navtej Singh Murder Case Linked to Land Dispute

Indiadailyupdate.com – Police have arrested an autorickshaw driver and his son in the killing of former Manewal sarpanch Navtej Singh, saying the murder was allegedly planned amid a prolonged conflict over 1.5 kanals of land.

The arrests were made on Saturday. The accused are Roor Singh and his son Jaswinder Singh, also known as Raja, who works as a pickup driver. Both are residents of Patti Chohle Kutbewal Gujjaran.

Navtej Singh was shot dead on October 3 as he travelled home to Krishna Nagar in the Ghumar Mandi area after visiting his land in Manewal. He was driving his Toyota Innova when two men on a motorcycle allegedly intercepted him and opened fire.

He sustained seven gunshot wounds and died at the scene, police said. The incident had initially prompted allegations against several members of Navtej’s extended family and other people connected to the disputed property.

Police identify alleged conspiracy

Additional commissioner of police Rupinder Singh said the investigation now points to Jaswinder as the person who allegedly planned the killing. Investigators believe he drew two acquaintances into the plan to carry out the shooting.

The investigation established that Jaswinder allegedly conspired to eliminate Navtej over the property dispute and enlisted two friends to execute the murder. The alleged shooters, Manjinder Singh, alias Goru, and Harpreet Singh, alias Preet, have been identified, and police teams are conducting raids to apprehend them.

Police have named Manjinder Singh, known as Goru, and Harpreet Singh, known as Preet, as the suspected shooters. Raids are continuing to locate and arrest them.

Investigators said Jaswinder became acquainted with Manjinder roughly three months before the murder while they were drinking together. During one such meeting, Jaswinder allegedly shared his intention to kill Navtej. Manjinder is alleged to have accepted the plan because of their friendship, rather than for payment.

Manjinder later allegedly brought in his relative Harpreet and arranged a firearm used in the attack.

Dispute traced to property transaction

The conflict centred on a 1.5-kanal plot bought by Navtej’s father from Roor Singh’s sister almost 20 years ago. Roor Singh maintained that the sale was improper and unfair, arguing that he also had a stake in the land. The disagreement eventually reached the courts.

Land disputes can remain emotionally and financially significant for families over long periods, particularly when ownership claims, possession and inheritance issues overlap. In this case, the contested plot became the focus of repeated tension between the parties.

Police said Navtej had earlier filed two cases against Roor Singh and members of his family over alleged attempts to take possession of the property. The cases are believed to have intensified resentment surrounding the unresolved dispute.

Investigators said Roor Singh and Jaswinder were facing financial difficulties, and that frustration over the legal dispute had continued to grow. Police allege that this led Jaswinder to formulate the plan to kill Navtej.

Initial allegations not supported by investigation

After the shooting, Navtej’s son Alamjeet Singh had alleged that Wahegurupal Singh, Navtej’s cousin, was behind a plan to have him killed because of the land dispute.

The FIR initially named Wahegurupal Singh, his wife Jaspreet Kaur and their son Manjot Singh, all from Krishna Nagar. It also listed Manewal’s sitting sarpanch Baljeet Singh, Sukhpal Singh, and Sukhpal’s sons Bhupinder Singh and Tajinder Singh.

Alamjeet had alleged that a dispute involving his father and Wahegurupal had resulted in a conspiracy to engage contract killers. However, police said they found no material connecting the initially named individuals to the murder.

The development is significant because an FIR records allegations made at the beginning of an investigation, while the inquiry that follows is intended to test those claims against available evidence. Police have said the evidence gathered so far does not support the involvement of Navtej’s cousin, the cousin’s family, or the other people initially nominated in the case.

Investigation continues

The father and son remain in custody while police pursue the two men alleged to have carried out the shooting. The investigation remains underway as teams work to trace the suspected gunmen and examine the sequence of events leading to the October 3 attack.

The father-son duo have been arrested, while efforts are on to apprehend the two alleged shooters. The investigation is underway.

The case has shifted from its initial focus on relatives named by the victim’s family to an alleged plot involving the separate property dispute with Roor Singh’s family. Further legal proceedings will depend on the evidence collected by investigators and the outcome of efforts to arrest the remaining suspects.