Bathinda, Dec. 15 -- A pall of gloom descended on two villages in the Budhlada sub-division of Mansa district after news emerged that two youths, Gurdeep Singh of Barre village and Ranvir Singh of Uddat Saidewala, were allegedly shot dead by unidentified assailants in Edmonton in the early hours of Friday (local time in Canada).

The bereaved families said the deceased had never expressed any apprehension about threats to their lives and were both preparing for promising careers abroad.

Gurdeep's family suspects the crime may be a case of mistaken identity, as the SUV in which the victims collapsed belonged to another Punjabi youth and the two had just entered the vehicle when the assailants opened fire.

Ranvir, 19, who had flown to Can...