Popular Punjabi singer Parmish Verma, 31, and his friend, Kulwant Singh Chahal were shot at in Mohali at 12.30am on Saturday when they were returning from an event in Chandigarh.
Police rushed the two to Fortis Hospital, where they were said to be stable and out of danger. The hospital statement said Parmish was injured in the knee.
“Parmish and Kulwant sustained a bullet injury each in the leg. We recovered six cartridges from a .315-bore gun,” senior superintendent of police Kuldeep Singh Chahal said.
Parmish is the son of Satish Kumar Verma, a former professor of Punjabi at Punjabi University, Patiala, and shot to fame with the hit, ‘Gaal ni kadni (Don’t abuse)’, that has been viewed 118 million times on YouTube. Released last year, the popularity of the song coincides with the state police’s crackdown on gangsters. His single, Shada, has got 27 million views on YouTube since its release three weeks ago. Parmish’s father has written songs for legendary Punjabi singer Gurdas Maan and is also a playwright and theatre director.
Parmish was driving his black Toyota Fortuner to his house in Savitry Towers, Sector 91, Mohali, and Kulwant was seated beside him. Police said a white Hyundai Creta was following them from Elante Mall.
Parmish, who was accompanied by two bouncers from Elante, had dropped them off at Homeland Heights crossing minutes before the incident. The Creta intercepted Parmish’s vehicle at the entrance of Sector 74, Mohali, en route to Verma’s apartment. A man alighted and fired the six bullets.
Motive a mystery
The police said that the motive was unclear though two Punjab gangsters had claimed responsibility.
Gangster Dilpreet Singh Dhahan posted a message on Facebook along with a picture of himself holding a pistol and another of Verma with a cross on it. “Mein Dilpreet Singh Dhahan sariya nu dasna chaunda k ajj Parmish Verma de goliya bazian apa mariya. (I, Dilpreet Singh Dhahan, want to tell everyone that I’m behind the shooting of Parmish Verma),” said the post, the first on his Facebook profile this year. Dilpreet had threatened Parmish in April, too.
The police said another gangster, Sampat Nehra, also claimed responsibility. “These claims could be to mislead investigation but the involvement of gangsters can’t be ruled out,” the SSP said.
Inspector general, Rupnagar range, V Neeraja visited the crime spot.
A case was registered under various sections of the IPC, including attempt to murder, and under the Arms Act.
