As per the report, shopkeepers claimed that gangsters, including Lakhbir Singh Landa, are operating openly in the area.

Punjab News: In a surprising turn of events, shopkeepers in Chohla Sahib town in Punjab have hired private gunmen for security over the past few years after receiving continuous extortion threats from gangsters in the state, according to a report by The Tribune.

The report stated that three years ago, shops in Chohla Sahib town were fired upon in broad daylight, following which repeated extortion demands amounting to lakhs of rupees were made from local businessmen.

It added that the shopkeepers informed the police; however, they alleged that the administration failed to provide safety, leaving them with no option but to take steps to protect themselves from rising crime, specifically extortion threats from gangsters.

As per the report, shopkeepers claimed that gangsters, including Lakhbir Singh Landa, are operating openly in the area.

“Residents alleged that the police exist only in name. Around 400 shopkeepers in Chohla Sahib have reportedly lost trust in the police and have hired four private gunmen for security over the past few years, paying them monthly from their own pockets,” the Tribune report read.

The shopkeepers further flagged that despite facing threats to their lives and completing all formalities for obtaining arms licences for self-defence, they have not been granted the licences for years. They alleged that while some applicants received licences within days, others continue to wait without any explanation.

Residents across the Tarn Taran district are facing extortion threats from gangsters, the shopkeepers added.

The report also stated that Bhupinder Nayyar, a social worker from Chohla Sahib, has demanded an impartial investigation into the allegations and urged the administration to ensure the safety and security of residents in the district.

In a separate development, a similar incident of extortion and firing came to light from Haibowal in Ludhiana, where a shopkeeper’s premises were shot at days after he received an extortion threat. Several rounds were fired at the shop. The shopkeeper, who called the police to the scene, stated that a few days earlier, his brother had received an extortion threat demanding Rs 50 lakh.

Recently, in yet another similar incident, miscreants were seen carrying out firing outside a school. 

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