A 33-year-old daily wager was injured when masked youths opened fire during a clash between two groups outside a hair salon near the bus stand in Bhaini Gujjran village, under Sidhwan Bet police station, on Saturday night.The victim, Jaj Singh, a resident of the same village who earns his livelihood through daily wage labour, had gone to the salon for a haircut. On reaching the spot, he found two groups already engaged in a heated exchange of abuses and a scuffle. Sensing the situation escalating, he stepped outside the shop to save his life.According to him, one of the youths involved in the quarrel suddenly pulled out a pistol and fired two shots. One of the bullets hit Jaj Singh in the right shoulder. He collapsed on the ground in a pool of blood.The assailants, who had covered their faces with cloth to conceal their identity, fled from the spot, waving their weapons. Panic gripped the area around the bus stand following the sudden firing.Sources said after the incident, villagers rushed the injured man first to the government hospital in Sidhwan Bet for primary treatment. Due to his serious condition, he was referred to the Civil Hospital in Ludhiana. Doctors there, finding his condition critical, further referred him to the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGI) in Chandigarh.The victim is currently battling for his life. The Sidhwan Bet police have launched an investigation to trace the suspects involved in the firing.