A local leader of the Shiromani Akali Dal in Gurdaspur district of Punjab was shot dead and his legs chopped off allegedly by a neighbour and his sons on Monday, PTI reported, quoting police. Dalbir Singh, 51, was the vice president of the party’s district unit and a former village head.

Major Singh and Mandeep Singh, who are in their mid-twenties, allegedly waylaid Dalbir Singh when he was out for a walk, and fired six bullets at him. Their father Balwinder Singh cut off his legs with a sharp-edged weapon and threatened his family members with dire consequences.

Batala Senior Superintendent of Police Opinderjit Singh Ghuman ruled out any political motive behind the killing. The incident followed a verbal spat earlier between Dalbir Singh and Balwinder Singh over hiring a servant, he said.

A murder case has been filed against the three accused and six unidentified persons. The police has formed several teams to trace the accused.

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