Innocent Hindu businessman killed in Khalistani bid to assassinate local Hindu leader
Bhatinda, Punjab, India 
15 June, 2025
Case Summary
In the Thermal Colony area of Bathinda, Punjab, a Hindu man was shot dead by Khalistani terrorists in a case of mistaken identity, where their original target was a local Hindu leader. The victim, Lalit Chhabra, was sitting at a tea stall after his morning walk when he was suddenly attacked by some Khalistani terrorists. Two bullets struck him—one in the chest and one in the leg, which proved fatal. Initially, this case was being treated as a case of personal rivalry; however, the investigation took a dramatic turn when the three accused were arrested. During interrogation, the attackers revealed that they were given a contract to kill a local Hindu leader, part of Shiv Sena, by the leader of a Khalistani group based in Canada. They were given the photograph of their intended target, the Hindu leader. However, on the day of the attack, the actual target did not appear at the tea stall. Lalit Chhabra, a Hindu man who coincidentally resembled their actual target, was mistakenly shot dead. The three attackers fled the scene after the shooting. Shortly after, their fourth accomplice contacted them to inform them that they had shot the wrong person. As of the date of writing this report, the investigation was ongoing.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
Although the perpetrators in this case were Khalistani terrorists who had planned to assassinate a Hindu leader due to his political and religious identity, the actual victim, Lalit Chhabra, was not the intended target. He was killed in a case of mistaken identity because he resembled the leader the terrorists were contracted to murder. While the broader plot was rooted in religious and ideological extremism against a Hindu leader, Lalit Chhabra’s killing was incidental and not motivated by his own religious identity. Since the victim was not deliberately chosen for being Hindu, but rather shot by mistake, this case is being placed in the undecided database until further clarity emerges from the ongoing investigation.
Victim Details
Total Victim
1
Deceased
1
Gender
- Male 0
- Female 1
- Third Gender 0
- Unknown 0
Caste
- SC/ST 0
- OBC 0
- General 1
- Unknown 0
Age Group
- Minor 0
- Adult 1
- Senior Citizen 0
- Unknown 0
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Sikh Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
