Twenty five-year-old dancer shot dead on stage in Bathinda, accused on the run

In a shocking incident, 25-year-old dancer Kulwinder Kaur was shot dead on stage while performing at a wedding function in Punjab’s Bathinda district on Saturday night. A video of the incident was widely circulated on social media, sparking off outrage.

Police have booked four persons in the case (yet to be apprehended) and also recovered a 0.32 bore revolver and a 0.12 bore double barrel  gun. The police have identified, with the help of the video clip, the main accused – local Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Lucky Goyal, who was brandishing the revolver, and his friend Sanjay Goyal who was holding the gun. The bullet that hit Kaur was allegedly fired from Lucky’s gun. Lucky’s father, Vijay Goyal, is a former SAD councillor.

The motive behind the shooting is as yet unclear; while some reports are suggesting it was a case of celebratory firing gone wrong, Kaur’s husband alleged his wife was shot because Lucky Goyal was stopped from joining the dancers on stage. He also claimed that Kaur was three months pregnant, but local doctors have contradicted this claim.