The North News
Chandigarh, January 5
Punjab Cabinet Minister and Aam Aadmi Party state president Aman Arora has strongly condemned the killing of a village sarpanch in Tarn Taran district, vowing that those responsible — including anyone who ordered or facilitated the crime — would not be spared. Aman Arora visited the family of Jarmal Singh, the sarpanch of Valtoha Sandhuan village, who was shot dead in Amritsar on Sunday. Offering condolences, Arora said the state government stood firmly with the family during what he described as an “irreparable loss”.
Calling the murder a “cowardly and heinous act”, the minister said police had been given clear instructions to act decisively. “Those who pulled the trigger and those who stand behind them — their handlers and patrons — will all be brought to justice,” he said, adding that police teams were actively pursuing the suspects. Arora described the deceased sarpanch as a widely respected local leader, saying his repeated election to office reflected public trust and integrity. “Such people are rare. This is not just the loss of a person, but a blow to the social fabric of the area,” he said.
The Minister blamed the rise of organised crime in Punjab on what he called political patronage under previous governments over the past decade and more. He said the current administration had ended all forms of protection to gangsters, drug traffickers and criminals.
“The system that shielded such elements is now over,” Arora said, adding that the government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was committed to making Punjab crime-free, even if dismantling entrenched criminal networks would take time.
He also called for stronger cooperation from the central government, particularly in dealing with criminals operating from other states or from abroad. “When crimes are planned across borders, coordination becomes essential. We need full support to break these networks,” he said.
Arora said the killing was not just an attack on an elected village head but an assault on peace and public order, and promised that the government would not rest until everyone involved was held accountable.
