Three arrested for targeted killing in Punjab: DGP
Darpan News Desk IANS, 17 Nov, 2022 12:42 PM
Chandigarh, Nov 17 (IANS) Punjab Police on Thursday arrested three persons, including two main shooters involved in the targeted killing of Pardeep Singh, who was shot dead by six armed assailants outside his shop in Kotkapura on November 10, Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said on Thursday .
The arrested individuals have been identified as Manpreet Singh and Bhupinder Singh -- both from Faridkot; and Baljit Singh of Muktsar Sahib.
The DGP said the police had established the identity of two of the main shooters -- Manpreet and Bhupinder -- on the first day of the crime and a manhunt was launched in this regard.
"In an intelligence-led joint operation, Counter Intelligence Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur Police and Faridkot Police nabbed both the shooters from the outskirts of Hoshiarpur district, when they were waiting to catch a bus to flee to Himachal Pradesh," he said.
The DGP said both the arrested shooters have criminal cases, pertaining to extortion and other crimes, pending against them and their questioning is expected to unravel the entire conspiracy hatched by the Canada-based terrorist Goldy Brar and his network of associates, who have acted as facilitators in this crime.
In another success, DGP Yadav said Faridkot Police, in a simultaneous operation, have arrested Baljit Manna from the Jaito area in Faridkot for providing logistic support to the three Haryana-based shooters, including two minors and one identified as Jatinder Jeetu.
The trio Haryana-based shooters were arrested by the Delhi Special Cell a few days back.
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.
