Punjab Police arrest sixth shooter in targeted killing case
Darpan News Desk IANS, 21 Nov, 2022 11:26 AM
Chandigarh, Nov 20 (IANS) Punjab Police's Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) on Sunday arrested the sixth shooter involved in the targeted killing of shopkeeper Pardeep Singh after a brief encounter in Jaipur, officials said.
In a conspiracy hatched by the Canada-based terrorist Goldy Brar, Pardeep Singh was killed by six shooters outside his shop in Kotkapura on November 10.
Director General of Police Punjab Gaurav Yadav identified the arrested accused as Ramjan Khan, alias Raj Hooda. He said police teams have also arrested his two accomplices -- Happy Mehla (19) and Sahil Mehla (18), both resident of Hanumangarh in Rajasthan.
The police have also recovered two pistols, including a Chinese-made Star .30 caliber and .32 caliber, from their possession, he added.
The development came three days after Punjab Police had arrested three persons -- Manpreet Singh, alias Mani, Bhupinder Singh, alias Goldy, and Baljit Singh involved in the targeted killing.
DGP Yadav said acting on intelligence, teams from AGTF headed by ADGP Pramod Ban under the supervision of AIG Sandeep Goel followed the trail of the accused Khan.
After collecting vital clues, the police teams of AGTF led by DSP Bikram Brar and DSP Rajan Parminder managed to trace his location in a building at Vinayak Enclave Colony in Jaipur, where he was holed up with his two accomplices in a rented accommodation.
The DGP said in a well-coordinated operation with central agencies & Rajasthan Police, the AGTF team has managed to zero in Khan at his rented accommodation.
"When police teams tried to arrest Ramjan, he opened fire at the police party and in retaliatory firing, he got injured," said the DGP, adding the accused has been admitted to a hospital in Jaipur.
According to media reports, Mann, who was on a eigh-day trip to Germany till September 18, delayed his departure as he was reportedly in 'an inebriated state'. However, AAP has strongly denied the charge, saying Mann was not deplaned at the Frankfurt airport. The party termed it as false and frivolous propaganda by political rivals.
The official added that a case was registered against Shailendra Sharma, the Superintendent and Tax Clerk Raman Agarwal on a complaint alleging that they were demanding a bribe of Rs 50,000 which was reduced to Rs 25,000 from the complainant for getting his mutation file processed. The CBI laid a trap and caught the accused red-handed while demanding and accepting the bribe of Rs 25,000 from the complainant.
Both -- Mandeep, alias Manna Tuffan, and Manpreet, alias Mani Rayia -- were allegedly involved in the murder of gangster Ranbir Singh, alias Rana Kandowalia. Kandowalia, who was facing dozens of cases of murder and attempt to murder, was gunned down outside a private hospital in Amritsar in August last year. The Bhagwanpuria group had taken the responsibility for the murder.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah had ordered a CBI probe into the death of Phogat. The move came after Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant recommended a CBI probe into the case as per demand of Phogat's daughter and people of Haryana.
The two-time chief minister of Punjab had fought the assembly elections in the state earlier this year in alliance with the BJP as well as Akali Dal (Sanyukt). His party - Punjab Lok Congress - though had failed to get even a single seat during the assembly elections.
During deliberations, the Chief Minister envisaged opportunities for mutual collaboration in business and solutions. He said that the alliance could provide on-field handholding to Punjab farmers in best practices of crop management.
