Simranjeet Singh, the 43-year-old activist gunned down in broad daylight in Phagwara on Saturday, was a polarising figure well-known across Punjab’s bureaucratic, social and political circles.
A sharp and shrewd operator, Simranjeet possessed a knack for digging up sensitive information. Close associates recall his humble beginnings working at his father’s electrician shop before he started his own mobile repair business.
His foray into politics began around 2015 when he joined the Congress Sewa Dal. He developed a close association with Tajinder Bittu — the former Jalandhar Improvement Trust Chairman who recently joined the BJP. Through Bittu, Simranjeet connected with RTI activists Sanjay Sehgal and Ajay Sehgal, as well as Chandigarh-based lawyer HC Arora, and began leveraging the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
Simranjeet also cultivated strong media ties, frequently feeding journalists exclusive scoops. However, his methods drew controversy. Several Jalandhar Municipal Corporation (MC) and departmental officials alleged that he acted at the behest of politicians to dig up dirt on opponents. The friction grew so intense that MC officials eventually barred him from accessing records, alleging he had attempted to tamper with files.
Simranjeet later obtained a law degree and began filing petitions in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. However, in September last year, the High Court dismissed one of his Public Interest Litigations (PILs) after finding he had concealed the fact that his advocate’s license had been suspended since November 2022.
Recently, Simranjeet had been highly active on multiple fronts. He filed a petition against the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, lodged complaints with the Enforcement Directorate against Punjab Minister Sanjeev Arora, and targeted Jalandhar Mayor Vaneet Dhir. He had also recently filed a state government complaint against former Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal regarding alleged stamp duty evasion on a commercial property in Zirakpur.
According to close aides, Simranjeet had been receiving threatening messages from gangsters and shooters linked to the February 6 murder of financier Lucky Oberoi. He had routinely reported these threats to the police. Approximately a year ago, Simranjeet narrowly escaped an attack outside the “Off The Grid” gym in Model Town, after which he was assigned two security gunmen. Neither gunman was with him on Saturday morning when he left his Krishna Nagar residence for Phagwara.
Despite his extensive list of high-profile adversaries, the police attributed the murder to personal enmity. Investigators state that his maternal cousin, Sharanjit Singh, allegedly shot him over a monetary dispute using an accomplice’s licensed weapon.
