Punjab BJP demands SC/ST Act in Ajay Atwal murder FIR, warns AAP govt
Synopsis
Former Punjab BJP chief Vijay Sampla has escalated the Ajay Atwal murder case in Abohar into a direct political confrontation with CM Bhagwant Mann, demanding SC/ST Act provisions in the FIR and alleging that AAP is shielding a convict linked to the 2015 Bhim Tank murder — a case it once promised to resolve.
Key Takeaways
Former Punjab BJP president Vijay Sampla visited the Abohar protest site on 25 October to demand SC/ST Act provisions in the Ajay Atwal murder FIR.
Sampla also demanded that convicted murderer Shiv Lal Doda — serving a life sentence in the 2015 Bhim Tank case — be named in the FIR, alleging Atwal was a witness in that case.
The Atwal family has refused to allow a post-mortem examination for over a week , mirroring protests by the family of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Mansa .
Sampla accused CM Bhagwant Mann and Arvind Kejriwal of breaking earlier promises to the Bhim Tank family and alleged the AAP government is now siding with the same 'oppressor'.
The BJP warned that failure to deliver justice would turn local protests into a statewide movement across Punjab.
Former Punjab Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Vijay Sampla on Sunday, 25 October demanded that provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act be added to the first information report (FIR) in the Ajay Atwal murder case in Abohar, and that accused Shiv Lal Doda's name be explicitly included in the FIR. Sampla issued the demand at a protest site in Abohar, warning the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government that failure to deliver justice could trigger a statewide agitation.
Atwal Family Refuses Post-Mortem for Over a Week
The family of the slain Ajay Atwal has been refusing to allow a post-mortem examination of his body for more than a week, according to reports. Their protest draws a direct parallel to the family of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Mansa, who have similarly been demanding justice and staging their own demonstration. Both cases have become flashpoints for Dalit rights grievances in Punjab.
Who Visited the Protest Site
Sampla was accompanied at the Abohar protest site by MLA Sandeep Jakhar, SC Morcha State President Sheetal Anurag, District President Sukhwinder Singh Kaka Kamboj, and Mukatsar District President Kuldeep Singh Bhangewala. Their collective presence signals that the BJP is attempting to consolidate Dalit voter sentiment in the state ahead of any future electoral contest.
The Bhim Tank Murder Link
Sampla underlined that Atwal was reportedly a key witness in the 2015 Bhim Tank murder case, for which Shiv Lal Doda is currently serving a life sentence. He alleged that the AAP government's inaction amounts to shielding Doda's associates. 'The government must stop shielding the actual culprits in the Ajay Atwal case in Abohar and take appropriate action against Shiv Lal Doda as well,' Sampla said at the protest.
BJP Targets Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann
Sampla directly targeted AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, alleging that both had previously assured Bhim Tank's family of justice and had even promised a government job to a family member under the Delhi government — commitments he claimed were not honoured. 'Instead of standing with the family, you did not even extend a helping hand to them; you allied with Shiv Lal Doda, the man convicted of Bhim Tank's murder. Now, you are siding with the same oppressor,' he alleged.
Warning of Statewide Protest
Sampla cautioned that the patience of the Dalit community should not be tested and warned that if justice is not delivered to the Atwal family, the protest would expand into a statewide movement across Punjab. This comes amid an already charged political climate in the state, with multiple communities mobilising around unresolved justice cases. The AAP government has not publicly responded to Sampla's demands as of this report.
Point of View
And both the BJP and AAP have consistently competed for that constituency. What is notable here is Sampla's attempt to stitch together the Bhim Tank, Jhota, and Atwal cases into a single narrative of AAP impunity — a coherent political strategy, even if the legal links between the three cases are still being established. The AAP government's silence so far risks ceding the moral ground on a case that has the ingredients to become a sustained Dalit mobilisation issue well beyond Abohar.
NationPress
25 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Ajay Atwal murder case in Abohar?
The Ajay Atwal murder case involves the killing of a man in Abohar, Punjab, whose family has been refusing to allow a post-mortem examination for over a week while demanding justice. Former BJP president Vijay Sampla has demanded that SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act provisions be added to the FIR in the case.
Why is Shiv Lal Doda being named in the Ajay Atwal FIR demand?
Vijay Sampla has alleged that Ajay Atwal was a witness in the 2015 Bhim Tank murder case, for which Shiv Lal Doda is currently serving a life sentence. Sampla claims this link makes Doda relevant to the Atwal murder investigation and has demanded his name be explicitly included in the FIR.
Who is Vijay Sampla and why is he involved?
Vijay Sampla is a former president of the Punjab BJP and a prominent Dalit leader in the state. He visited the Abohar protest site to amplify demands for justice in the Atwal case and to politically confront the AAP government over what he alleges is complicity with the accused.
What is the connection between the Ajay Atwal case and the Parvinder Singh Jhota case?
Both cases involve families refusing to accept the bodies of their slain relatives for post-mortem examination while demanding justice, and both have been cited by the BJP as examples of the AAP government's failure to protect Dalit citizens in Punjab. The Jhota case involves an anti-drug activist killed in Mansa.
What has the AAP government said about the demands?
As of this report, the AAP government has not publicly responded to Vijay Sampla's demands for SC/ST Act provisions in the Atwal FIR or to allegations that it is shielding the accused. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has not commented on the matter directly.
