Kabaddi Player Shot Dead During Live Match In Mohali; Oppn Targets AAP Govt Over 'Law And Order Failure'

Chandigarh: Chaotic scenes unfolded during a Kabaddi match in Mohali's Sohana on Monday evening after unidentified miscreants opened fire, leaving a player dead and causing panic among other players and spectators.

The deceased Kabaddi player and tournament promoter Kanwar Digvijay Singh aka Rana Balachauria was shot in the head by the assailants, police said.

According to initial reports, three youths who were involved in the firing fled the spot immediately after the incident.

Police said the attackers approached Rana under the pretext of taking a selfie and then suddenly opened fire. The accused reportedly fired 4-5 rounds, though it is not yet clear how many bullets struck the victim. Critically injured, Rana was rushed to the hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

A senior police official said, "Police received information about the shooting and rushed to the spot. It was found that Kabaddi promoter Rana Balachauria, a resident of Nawanshahr, was shot at by miscreants. The accused approached the victim on the pretext of taking a selfie and then shot him. One Bolero vehicle has been identified. There were 3-4 attackers. The case is being investigated from all angles."

The accused are currently on the run, and a manhunt has been launched to trace them, the official added.

No link with Sidhu Moosewala murder

Responding to questions of reporters, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Harmandeep Singh said, "Rana Balachauria has no link with the murder case of late Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala." He added that 12 police teams are engaged in the search for the accused.

Sharing information, authorities of Fortis Hospital in Mohali said, "We are deeply saddened to inform that 30-year-old Kabaddi player Kanwar Digvijay Singh was admitted to Fortis Hospital Mohali at 6:05 PM on December 15, 2025, due to gunshot wounds. Despite immediate clinical assessment, he was declared brought dead. We express our heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones during this difficult time."

Meanwhile, the incident has drawn sharp political reactions as Opposition leaders lashed out at the government over alleged failure of law and order situation. Congress MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa termed it "unacceptable" and said that firing at a public sports event reflects a serious breakdown of law and order in Punjab. "Gunfire at a public sporting event in Sohana is unacceptable and exposes a serious failure of law and order in Punjab. When criminals act this openly, public safety is clearly at risk. Bhagwant Mann government must act immediately," he said in a post on X.

Punjab Congress president and Ludhiana MP Amarinder Singh Raja Warring wrote on X, "The firing during a kabaddi tournament in Mohali, in which player Rana Balachauria lost his life, is a terrible reminder of the gross failure of AAP government in Punjab to maintain law and order. This is an evidence of the collapse of the regime. Punjabis are being forced to live in fear."

On the other hand, Shiromani Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badal held the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) responsible for the murder.

"The Aam Aadmi Party government is directly responsible for the murder during the Mohali Kabaddi tournament. The death of Kabaddi player and promoter Rana Balachauria during the Kabaddi tournament at Sohana (Mohali) has shaken Punjab to its core. During the tenure of the state's inept government, the morale of criminals has become so high that they do not even hesitate to open fire in the middle of a live match in presence of so many spectators," he said.

"It is the incompetence of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann that murders, extortions, and numerous other terrorist incidents are happening daily in Punjab, yet the police, instead of maintaining law and order, is focused on implementing the government orders related to political vendettas," Badal criticised.

Strongly condemning the incident, he has demanded for justice for Rana as well as for previous murders in which several kabaddi players were involved.

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