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Mohali: One of the three accused in the murder of kabaddi team promoter Kanwar Digvijay Singh alias Rana Balachauria was shot dead in a police encounter near Lalru on Wednesday afternoon, officials said.

The deceased has been identified as Harbhinder Singh alias Maddi, an active operative of foreign-based gangster Doni Bal. Police said Maddi was neutralised during an exchange of fire on the Ambala–Chandigarh National Highway near Lalru.

During the encounter, a police official identified as Gulab Singh sustained injuries and was shifted to the hospital. His condition is stated to be stable. According to police, Maddi was also wanted in several other firing incidents, including cases reported from the Tarn Taran district. He had been on the run since Monday’s brazen killing of Rana Balachauria in Mohali.

Twelve teams comprising personnel from the Punjab Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF), State Special Operations Cell (SSOC), and district police had been conducting intensive searches for the accused over the past two days. Mohali SSP Harmandeep Singh Hans reached the encounter site to supervise the operation. Police said the search for the remaining two accused, Aditya Kapoor and Karan Pathak, is still underway.

Murder During Live Kabaddi Event

Rana Balachauria was shot dead on Monday evening near a parking lot in Mohali during a kabaddi tournament. The assailants allegedly approached him under the pretext of taking a selfie, led him aside and fired multiple rounds at point-blank range, killing him on the spot.

As the attackers fled, they reportedly fired shots in the air to deter people who attempted to chase them. Following the murder, the Gopi Ghanshyampuria gang claimed responsibility through a social media post, though police are investigating links with multiple gangster networks. The killing has once again highlighted the growing nexus between gangsters, sports events and organised crime in Punjab, prompting intensified security and surveillance measures across the region.