Angry Father Fatally Shoots 4 Family Members Of Minor Daughter's Lover

A man allegedly shot and killed four family members of a youth who was having an affair with the suspect’s minor daughter.

The shocking murder occurred on Sunday, July 4, in the Gurdaspur district of Punjab, India.

The accused, identified as Sukhjinder Singh, got enraged when he learned that his minor daughter was having an affair with 20-year-old Harmandeep Singh.

In a fit of rage, the man grabbed his gun and went to confront the young man at a field owned by the youth’s family.

"He picked up his revolver and drove off on his motorcycle, probably in search of the boy. He found the boy and six other members of his family working in the fields at around 5.45 am and opened fire. They were completely taken by surprise," the New Indian Express quoted the Batala Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Rashpal Singh, as saying.

The deceased were identified as Harmandeep’s grandfather, 65-year-old Mangal Singh, father, 42-year-old Sukhwinder, uncle, 40-year-old Jasbir Singh, and cousin, 18-year-old Babandeep Singh.

While two of them died on the spot, two died when being transported to a nearby hospital.

Harmandeep and his cousin Jashanpreet were also injured during the attack. They were referred to Amritsar’s Guru Nanak Dev hospital and their condition is reported to be stable.

The suspect fled the scene after the shooting. He was reported to be absconding.

"We are searching for the accused. We have registered a case under sections 302 (murder), 304 (causing death by negligence), 506 (criminal intimidation) of IPC, and the Arms Act. We will investigate if there is a caste angle," the SSP said.

The youth hails from the same village as the suspect and belonged to a family of Dalits, which is considered a backward caste in India and was characterized as "untouchable" in the past.

"It is not about caste. Nobody can approve of a relationship between a boy and a girl from the same village. It is taboo. But no one can justify murder," a villager told the news outlet.

Another villager said, "At one point of time, both families had very good relations. Mangal Singh had around 10 acres of land. Harman’s family was into contract farming. However, now both families are in opposite political camps in the village. But there was no rivalry otherwise. Both were hard-working families. We are shocked."

The incident is being investigated and a manhunt has been initiated to nab the suspect.