Punjab Retailer Sanjay Verma Shot Dead; Market Shuts as Police Hunt Killers

Prominent businessman Sanjay Verma was killed in Abohar, Punjab, on Monday when three masked gunmen opened fire as he stepped out of his car outside the New Wear Well menswear showroom. Closed-circuit footage shows the assailants fleeing on a motorcycle that later skidded, forcing them to seize another bike before escaping. Verma, believed to be in his early 50s, was declared dead at the civil hospital shortly after 10 a.m. Fazilka Senior Superintendent of Police Gurmeet Singh said all entry and exit points to the border town have been sealed while investigators scour CCTV footage and interview witnesses. A first-information report has been filed for murder against unknown persons. Hours after the attack, an individual identifying herself as Aarzoo Bishnoi claimed responsibility on social media, naming associates Goldy Dhillon and Shubham Lonker; police have not yet verified the claim. The daylight shooting sparked a shutdown of markets across Abohar as trade associations protested what they called a breakdown in law and order. Local MLA Amandeep Singh Goldy visited the bereaved family, while Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar and Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal accused the Aam Aadmi Party state government of failing to curb gang violence. Jagat Verma, the victim’s elder brother and co-founder of New Wear Well, returned from Chandigarh after receiving the news. Investigators have not identified a motive; relatives say Verma had no known disputes. Police patrols have been intensified as the manhunt continues.