A wave of panic gripped Mohali’s upscale 7th Phase late on Thursday night after unidentified assailants unleashed a hail of bullets – more than 35 rounds – at the house of retired Punjab Irrigation Department officer, Maninder Singh Sodhi (62). The attackers opened fire, breaking the midnight calm and leaving the entire neighborhood in shock.
“At around 12.30am, we suddenly heard what sounded like firecrackers. We thought someone was celebrating,” Sodhi said.
“But soon my son called saying that there was someone near the window grill. When we went upstairs, there was no one there later, and we saw bullet marks on the walls and ceiling, and even on the cars parked inside.”
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When Sodi went outside, he found about 35-36 bullet shells scattered on the road. “Then we realized it wasn’t firecrackers, it was gunfire,” he recalls. “The whole neighborhood ran out in panic.”
CCTV footage reportedly shows two men on a motorbike, one of them wearing saffron pajamas. “They passed our house first, then came back and shot at our house and cars for about a minute and a half,” Sodi said.
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Police recovered three blank sheets of paper from the scene bearing the name ‘Kala Rana Collection’, all of which were seized for forensic examination.
The retired officer said: “We have never received any threatening or blackmailing calls. None of my children nor anyone in our family has any dispute with anyone.”
Sodhi, who lives with his wife and two sons, said the tenant Deepak, who runs a grocery store in Sector 3B2, was away visiting his in-laws in Patiala when the shooting occurred. Deepak also denied any animosity or threats.
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“Our whole family is terrified,” Sodi said. “The children are too afraid to go out and we didn’t even send them to school today.”
While visiting the family on Friday, Mohali Mayor Amarjeet Singh condemned the incident, calling it a “complete breakdown of law and order”. “If such a brazen attack could happen in the heart of the posh area of Mohali, what about the rest of the city? Ordinary citizens are no longer safe,” he said.
Referring to the CCTV images, the mayor said: “The footage clearly shows two armed men shooting repeatedly, easily reloading their weapons, and calmly driving a motorcycle. It is shocking that criminals can operate without fear.”
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He added: “The family did not even ask for night patrols. They only asked for more surveillance cameras in the area to help track down the perpetrators.” The mayor urged the Prime Minister to ensure the safety of the general public, not just VIPs.
DSP Prithvi Singh Chahal, who reached the spot, confirmed that the police recovered around 25 bullets and two live cartridges from the spot.
He added: “Forensic teams are examining the papers and evidence recovered. CCTV footage from across the area is being examined. Initial findings suggest this may be an act of gang-related intimidation, but all angles are being investigated.”
(Tags for translation) Retired irrigation officer’s house shooting in Punjab
