On Tuesday night, two bike-borne assailants opened fire at the shop of Harish Chandar, a commission agent and sheller owner, in the Payal grain market of Punjab, India. The attack, which occurred around 10:30 PM, is believed to be linked to a ₹1 crore extortion threat made by gangster Doni Bal last month. Police reported that the attackers fired at least three rounds, shattering the shop's windowpanes before escaping, with their actions captured on CCTV. An FIR has been registered against unidentified individuals, and police are working to apprehend the shooters.

The extortion threat was made on March 31 via a WhatsApp call from an international number, where the caller, claiming to be Doni Bal, threatened to harm Chandar's family if the money was not paid. Investigations revealed that Saudagar Singh, who conducted reconnaissance on Chandar, shared details with his son Shaganpreet Singh, who then relayed the information to Doni Bal. Saudagar Singh has been arrested, while Shaganpreet remains at large and is wanted in multiple cases, including the murder of a political leader. The police continue to investigate the incident to determine the roles of all involved.