3 linked to foreign-based gangsters held after encounter, associated to Punjab’s Gopi Nijjar murder case
Police said sophisticated foreign-made weapons, including a Glock 26 pistol and a Zigana pistol, were recovered from the accused.
As per Police, despite warnings to surrender, the accused continued firing, prompting retaliatory firing by the police. (Express photo by Kamleshwar Singh) Chandigarh Police’s Operations Cell have busted a module linked to foreign-based gangsters Doni Bal and Mohabbat Randhawa with the arrest of three alleged operatives following a brief encounter near Sector 43 bus stand, on Monday late night.
Police said sophisticated foreign-made weapons, including a Glock 26 pistol and a Zigana pistol, were recovered from the accused.
According to the police, the arrested accused identified as Prabhjot Singh (19) of Gurdaspur, Jobanpreet Singh (18) of Tarn Taran and Ajay Pal Singh (24) of Tarn Taran, were allegedly involved in the murder of gangster Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi Nijjar in Kapurthala last month.
Nijjar was stated to be the last witness in the Sukha Kahlwan murder case.
Police officials said a team of the Operations Cell was on patrol on May 18 when it received a tip-off that the three accused, allegedly acting on the directions of Doni Bal and Mohabbat Randhawa, were roaming in Chandigarh with automatic weapons and planning to snatch a car at gunpoint near the Sector 43 bus stand. A trap was subsequently laid in the area.
As the police team attempted to apprehend them, the accused allegedly tried to flee towards a nearby forested area. While Jobanpreet was overpowered with a .32 bore pistol, Prabhjot Singh and Ajay Pal Singh allegedly opened fire at the police party, said a Police official.
“One bullet hit the bullet-proof jacket of a member of the Operations Cell team,” the police official added.
As per Police, despite warnings to surrender, the accused continued firing, prompting retaliatory firing by the police.
A total of five rounds were fired during the encounter, three by the accused and two by the police party after which the accused surrendered. Senior police officers and forensic teams later visited the spot.
An FIR under Sections 109, 132, 221 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita along with provisions of the Arms Act has been registered at Sector 36 police station.
During interrogation, the accused allegedly revealed that they had been in touch with gangsters Doni Bal and Mohabbat Randhawa through encrypted messaging applications, said Police.
Police claimed the trio had carried out the murder of Gopi Nijjar in Kapurthala on April 30 on the instructions of the gangsters, who are believed to be operating from abroad. The Doni Bal gang had later claimed responsibility for the killing through a social media post, police said.
According to officials, Prabhjot Singh and Jobanpreet Singh were among the main shooters in the murder case, along with another accused identified as Gaurav alias Gola, who has already been arrested. Ajay Pal Singh allegedly arranged weapons for the shooters and was part of the conspiracy.
The accused were also allegedly involved in trafficking weapons to other gang members on the directions of foreign-based handlers.
Police said Prabhjot Singh had returned to India from Malaysia in February this year and had allegedly come in contact with the gang through one Arshdeep of Tarn Taran while abroad. Jobanpreet Singh, described by police as a “fatherless child”, was allegedly lured into the gang with promises of settling him abroad. Ajay Pal Singh, meanwhile, was found to have previous criminal cases registered against him in Punjab.
The police recovered one Zigana pistol with cartridges from Prabhjot Singh, a .32 bore pistol from Jobanpreet Singh, and a Glock 9 mm pistol from Ajay Pal Singh.
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