Gangster Joga Pholriwal among 4 booked for AAP leader's daylight murder in Jalandhar
Chandigarh (PTI): Punjab Police have registered a case against two named persons, including a foreign-based gangster, and two unknown individuals in connection with the daylight murder of AAP leader Lucky Oberoi in Jalandhar on Friday, with police suspecting personal enmity as the reason behind the killing, officials said on Saturday.
Police have booked gangster Jograj Singh alias Joga Pholriwal, who claimed responsibility for the murder in an unverified social media post, Dalbira and two unnamed persons under the relevant sections of the BNS and Arms Act at the Division 6 police station in the Jalandhar Commissionerate, based on a complaint filed by the victim’s family, they said.
However, the assailant and his accomplice, who were captured on a CCTV camera, have not been identified yet, with several police teams deployed to trace them.
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In the brazen daylight murder, Oberoi was shot by the unidentified assailant outside a gurdwara in Jalandhar’s Model Town around 7.30 am on Friday, shortly after he stepped out of the shrine after paying obeisance, police said.
CCTV camera footage showed that as Oberoi (43) came out of the gurdwara and sat in his car -- a Mahindra Thar -- the assailant wearing a black hoodie approached him on foot, opened fire and fled along with an accomplice, who was waiting for him on a two-wheeler a short distance away.
Satwinderpal Singh alias Lucky Oberoi, a financier by profession, was a ward in charge for the AAP in Jalandhar Cantonment.
An unverified social media post, purportedly by Joga Pholriwal, claimed responsibility for the murder.
Several allegations were levelled against Oberoi in the post, which claimed that he was killed due to personal enmity linked to a dispute over the presidency of a college.
A police officer on Saturday said Joga Pholriwal, Dalbira and two others have been booked for the murder of Oberoi.
Joga, who hails from Pholriwal in Jalandhar district, is believed to be living abroad, the officer said.
Oberoi and Joga had been friends earlier, and can be seen sharing a cake in a Facebook post, police sources said.
However, their relations soured over the election of the students' union president of Khalsa College, they said.
Oberoi's brother, Damandeep Singh, on whose statement the FIR was lodged, named Joga and Dalbira in his complaint, claiming that the duo threatened Oberoi sometime back.
However, police said the family did not file any complaint about the alleged threat at the time.
On Friday morning, Oberoi and Damandeep had gone to the gurdwara in Model Town along with one of their friends when the shooting took place.
Police said several teams have been deployed to trace the assailant and his accomplice, who were seen fleeing the spot on a Honda Activa, with both wearing hoodies.
Oberoi was cremated in Jalandhar on Saturday.
Punjab minister Mohinder Bhagat said those involved in the killing will be arrested, adding that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann sent the Punjab DGP to Jalandhar after the incident.
On one of the family members criticising the state government over the murder, Bhagat said it was natural for a family to be distressed after such an incident.
The opposition Congress, Akali Dal and the BJP have also slammed the AAP government over the incident, alleging that Punjab’s law and order have collapsed under it.
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Rupee falls 32 paise to all-time low of 95.20 against US dollar
Mumbai, Apr 30 (PTI): The rupee depreciated 32 paise to an all-time low of 95.20 against the US dollar in early trade on Thursday, weighed down by elevated Brent crude oil prices, hovering around USD 122 per barrel, and strong American currency.
Forex traders said the USD/INR pair may see further downside, as rising crude oil prices are likely to sharply impact India's import costs, while concerns over potential wider conflict in West Asia are fuelling investor anxiety.
Meanwhile, the US dollar added to gains after the US FED Reserve kept rates unchanged. Safe-haven demand was also boosted by another diplomatic setback between Washington and Tehran.
At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 95.01 against the US dollar, then lost some ground and touched an all-time low of 95.20 against the US dollar in initial trade, registering a fall of 32 paise over its previous close.
On Wednesday, the rupee depreciated 20 paise to close at an all-time low of 94.88 against the US dollar.
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"The main effect on the rupee has been from the rising oil prices, which touched USD 120 per barrel and looked headed for further upside as the US continues with its blockade of Iranian ports, while Iran does not allow any ship/tanker to pass through the Strait of Hormuz," said Anil Kumar Bhansali, Head of Treasury and Executive Director Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.01 per cent higher at 98.96.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading higher by 3.16 per cent at USD 121.76 per barrel in futures trade.
On the domestic equity market front, Sensex tumbled 821.79 points to 76,674.57 in early trade, while the Nifty dived 287.3 points to 23,890.35.
Foreign Institutional Investors offloaded equities worth Rs 2,468.42 crore on Wednesday, according to exchange data.
"FPIs continue with their sale of Indian Equities and debt (the yield touched 7 per cent on Wednesday) and are also dollar buyers consistently," Bhansali added.
