Ludhiana, Aug. 24 -- The Gopi Ghanshampuria gang has openly claimed responsibility for the murder of 24-year-old notorious offender Kartik Baggan, just hours after he was gunned down near Sunder Nagar Chowk on late Saturday night.

Baggan, already facing multiple criminal cases including attempt to murder and assault, was riding a scooter with his friend Manoj when bike-borne assailants ambushed them. Police said four bullets pierced Baggan's body, killing him on the spot. Manoj, who was hit twice, miraculously survived and remains in the ICU at Christian Medical College and Hospital.

The murder took a darker turn when an Instagram story surfaced under the banner of the Gopi Ghanshampuria group, where USA-based gangster Balwinder Singh a...