ISLAMABAD: In the latest incident of targeted violence against Sikhs in Indian Punjab, a village council head was shot dead at a wedding ceremony Sunday, marking another assassination in a troubling pattern of attacks on members of the Sikh community in India.
Jarmal Singh, 50, was a member of an Indian political party, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). He was serving as the chief of Valtoha village in the Tarn Taran district of Indian Punjab.
He was fatally shot around 2:30 p.m. local time at the Marigold Marriage Palace in Amritsar, according to Indian media reports. A 13-second footage captured on closed-circuit television cameras shows two unmasked assailants posing as wedding guests approaching Singh while he sat at a table. One of the gunmen fired a single shot at his head before both fled on foot.
The Aam Aadmi Party’s Punjab chapter confirmed Singh’s murder on their official X (formerly Twitter) account.
"AAP Punjab president and cabinet minister Aman Arora on Thursday met the family of slain Aam Aadmi Party worker and sarpanch [chief] Jarmal Singh at Valtoha Sandhuan village and assured them of strict action against the culprits. The Aam Aadmi Party stands with the victim's family at all times," read the statement.
Fellow AAP lawmaker and a member of the [Indian] Punjab Legislative Assembly, Sarwan Singh Dhun, wrote on his official Facebook page: "Our very dear Sarpanch Jarmal Singh Sandhu Contractor from Valtoha Sandhua was shot dead during his wedding ceremony at Mary Gold Palace in Amritsar. I am very saddened to hear this incident."
The brazen daylight assassination represents the fourth attempt on Singh's life. He had survived three previous assassination attempts, including a shooting in early 2025 that left him and his driver injured.
The March 2025 attack on Singh was linked to an alleged extortion demand of $36,000 by a foreign-based gangster, according to an April 21, 2025, post by the Director General of Indian Punjab Police on X.
Pattern of violence against Sikhs
Singh's assassination adds to a growing list of targeted killings of Sikhs within India. High-profile singer and politician Sidhu Moose Wala was gunned down in May 2022.
The violence extends far beyond India's borders, with Sikh community members reporting systematic targeting across the diaspora.
In June 2023, Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot 34 times and killed in Canada. The then Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, had publicly stated in September 2023 that there were "credible allegations" linking Indian government agents to the assassination.
US federal prosecutors unsealed an indictment in November 2023 charging an Indian national in connection with a plot to assassinate Sikh activist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York City, according to US Justice Department documents. The indictment stated the plot involved an Indian government official.
In the United Kingdom, Avtar Singh Khanda died in Birmingham in June 2023 under circumstances that have raised concerns among Sikh community activists.
Reports from 2023 identified an alleged "hit list" of 20 Sikhs in the diaspora purportedly compiled by Indian intelligence agencies, targeting Sikhs in the UK, US, and Canada, according to international media reports.
Disproportionate legal targeting
Beyond physical violence, Sikh advocacy organizations and human rights groups have documented a systematic legal persecution against the community.
According to reports citing Sikh advocacy groups, members of the Sikh community have accounted for up to 99% of those charged in Indian Punjab under the controversial Unlawful Activities Prevention Act since 2020, despite Sikhs comprising approximately 58% of the state's population.
Indian authorities claim that prosecutions under the anti-terrorism law are based on "legitimate" security concerns and deny any religious targeting.
International concern
The escalating pattern of violence has drawn international attention, with Western governments expressing concern over what they describe as transnational repression.
Pakistan has consistently raised concerns at international forums about the treatment of religious minorities in India, including Sikhs, Muslims, and Christians, citing rising religious intolerance under the current BJP government.
India dismisses such concerns as "politically" motivated interference in its internal affairs.
.jpg)
