2 Indians shot dead in Italy

Rome: Two Indian men were shot dead in Italy’s Covo in Bergamo province while leaving a warehouse used as a gurdwara after a Vaisakhi event, reports said on Sunday.

The attack occurred on April 17, a few minutes before midnight in the square in front of the Gurdwara Mata Sahib Kaur Ji in the industrial area of the town, according to La Sicilia newspaper. 

The deceased have been identified as Rajinder Singh, 48, a resident of Covo, and Gurmit Singh (R), 48, from Agnadello. Both were fathers of three children.

Eyewitnesses said the victims stepped out of the building that housed a Sikh shrine. Initial reports said the man fired the shots from the car.

Initial findings suggest a sudden brawl that escalated into bloodshed has been ruled out, the report said. Ten shell casings were recovered from the scene as authorities investigate the hypothesis of a “coldly planned execution”. The first five or six bullets were fired at Rajinder Singh.

A witness was quoted as telling reporters that the shooter was also “an Indian” who, too, frequented the gurdwara. According to the same witness, the bullets also grazed a third person. An official celebration for Vaisakhi was planned for April 18 nearby with the participation of local institutions. —PTI