On Monday, September 18, a local leader of the Congress party was shot dead at his home in Dala village in Moga district of Punjab. According to the initial investigation the Congress person identified as Baljinder Singh Balli (45), commonly known as ‘namberdar’ was shot twice. Police said that one bullet punctured his chest, while the other struck his thigh. Balli was the Congress party’s Ajitwal village block president. The two assailants arrived on a motorbike and killed Balli.
Hours after the murder, fugitive gangster, and terrorist Arshdeep Singh Gill aka Arsh Dalla, who is also from Dala village but is believed to be hiding in Canada, came to Facebook and claimed responsibility for the attack. Arsh Dalla accused Balli in a message posted on Facebook. He blamed Balli for introducing him to the world of crime and for ‘harassing his mother’.
The police have recovered CCTV footage of the incident in which one of the accused can be seen barging into the house while Balli was standing on the porch. He fired a couple of bullets at Balli after which the latter happened to collapse. The Police were immediately informed and the victim was taken to the hospital but it was too late. Balli had succumbed to the bullet injuries.
CCTV footage of #Congress party's Ajitgarh block president's murder in #Moga district. A shooter can be seen opening fire on Baljinder Singh Bali. He sustained two bullet injuries on chest & stomach. pic.twitter.com/J08cVf7pGk
— Parteek Singh Mahal (@parteekmahal) September 18, 2023
In his Facebook post, Arsh Dalla wrote, “I am responsible for the murder of Balli in Dala village because it was my own village’s politics which had made me tread this path. This man (Balli) was responsible for keeping my mother in CIA (police) custody for a week and he also got my friends arrested. He was hand in glove with police and got my home vandalized. He destroyed my home just to gain his own afsar shaahi. My life’s aim was not to live my own life but to kill him. If we wished, we would have killed his child too but that child was nowhere at fault. Those who are sympathizing with him, their homes are also not far for us.”
Partap Singh Bajwa, a senior Congress politician has vehemently condemned the incident. “In a harrowing incident, the Congress president from Ajitwal block of district Moga, Baljinder Singh Balli (45) was shot dead at his residence today. I condemn this incident in the strongest possible terms. My heart goes out to the family of the victim,” Bajwa wrote on Twitter (X).
In a harrowing incident, the Congress president from Ajitwal block of district Moga, Baljinder Singh Balli (45) was shot dead at his residence today.
— Partap Singh Bajwa (@Partap_Sbajwa) September 18, 2023
I condemn this incident in the strongest possible terms. My heart goes out to the family of the victim.
Ever since @AAPPunjab… pic.twitter.com/Tu922DQfEF
Dala was listed as a terrorist by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in January this year after the MHA discovered his involvement in terrible crimes including murder, extortion, and targeted killings, in addition to terror activities.
The incident came to the fore on the same day when the Canadian government accused India of its involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey.
However, the Canadian claims were fiercely refuted by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). “We reject the Prime Minister of Canada’s statement in Parliament, as well as the Foreign Minister’s statement. Allegations of the Government of India’s involvement in any act of violence in Canada are absurd and motivated,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) asserted in a statement.
India rejects allegations by Canada:https://t.co/KDzCczWNN2 pic.twitter.com/VSDxbefWLw
— Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) September 19, 2023
The MEA response came after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed the country’s security forces were looking into a possible link between the Indian government and the June 18 shooting death of Najjar, a Canadian citizen, outside a gurdwara in Surrey by two unidentified gunmen. Trudeau also stated that he raised the issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the G20 Summit.
In the given case, the investigation has begun, according to Moga SSP J Elanchezhian. He stated that the alleged Facebook post from Arsh Dalla’s account was being investigated and confirmed. An FIR for murder has been filed at the Mehna police station in Punjab.
Reportedly, in May this year, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) apprehended two close aides of Arshdeep Singh Gill, alias Arsh Dalla, a Canada-based designated terrorist of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF). It is notable that Canada-based Arsh Dalla has been designated as an ‘individual terrorist’ by the Ministry of Home Affairs on January 9 this year.
