Gunshots fired outside doctor's residence in Jalandhar, second in 24 hours

Jalandhar: The safety of healthcare professionals in Punjab is in jeopardy after gunshots were fired outside the residence of a doctor in Mota Singh Nagar, Jalandhar, on Saturday evening, marking the second such incident on consecutive nights.

The incident occurred at around 9:45 pm, when a man allegedly arrived on a motorcycle and opened fire at the house of the owner of Vardaan Hospital.

Four rounds were fired, two of which struck the gate. No injuries were reported, but the attack has raised serious concerns about the safety of doctors even within their own homes.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Manpreet Dhillon, who visited the spot, told The Tribune that an FIR had been registered and an investigation had been initiated. According to the police, a lone individual on a bike carried out the firing before fleeing the scene. 

As reported by The Tribune earlier, this was the second such incident in Jalandhar within 24 hours. In the wee hours of Saturday, at around 1.40 am, gunshots were fired outside the house of a veterinarian in the Santokhpura locality. Around 10 rounds were discharged while the doctor and his family were inside the house. Two to three youths allegedly arrived on a motorcycle and fired at his car and residence using a pistol. Bullet marks were later found on the outer wall of the house, the gate, and the parked car.

Police teams examined CCTV footage from the area and began efforts to identify the accused. A senior police official handling the investigation said that teams were working to trace and arrest those involved at the earliest. The family of the veterinarian reportedly stated that they had no known rivalry with anyone, adding another layer of concern regarding motive.

According to a report by The Times of India, Saturday evening’s firing at Mota Singh Nagar followed the earlier Santokhpura incident, marking two attacks targeting medical professionals in less than a day. The back-to-back episodes have unsettled the local medical fraternity, particularly given that both incidents occurred at the doctors’ homes rather than at healthcare facilities.

Investigations in both cases are ongoing, with police examining evidence and CCTV footage to determine the identity and motive of the assailants. For doctors in the region, the incidents have reignited conversations around personal security and the need for enhanced protection measures for healthcare providers and their families.