Gangster module linked to foreign handlers busted after encounter in Chandigarh
Glock, Zigana pistols seized; three accused linked to Gopi Nijjar murder arrested
Police said sophisticated foreign-made weapons, including a Glock 26 pistol and a Zigana pistol, were recovered from the accused, who were allegedly planning a carjacking in the city.(Representative/ANI) The Operations Cell of Chandigarh Police has busted a module allegedly linked to foreign-based gangsters Doni Bal and Mohabbat Randhawa with the arrest of three alleged operatives following a brief encounter near the Sector 43 bus stand late Monday night.
Police said sophisticated foreign-made weapons, including a Glock 26 pistol and a Zigana pistol, were recovered from the accused, who were allegedly planning a carjacking in the city.
The arrested accused have been identified as Prabhjot Singh (19) of Gurdaspur, Jobanpreet Singh (18) of Tarn Taran and Ajay Pal Singh (24) of Tarn Taran. Police said the trio was 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 team fired two rounds in retaliation
According to police officials, an Operations Cell team 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 laid in the area and, as the police team attempted to apprehend them, the accused allegedly tried to flee towards a nearby forested area. While Jobanpreet Singh was overpowered with a .32 bore pistol, Prabhjot Singh and Ajay Pal Singh allegedly opened fire at the police party.
“One bullet hit the bullet-proof jacket of a member of the Operations Cell team,” a police official said.
Police said despite repeated warnings to surrender, the accused continued firing, prompting retaliatory firing by the police team.
A total of five rounds were fired during the encounter — three by the accused and two by the police — following which the accused surrendered. Senior police officers and forensic teams later visited the spot.
Linked to Gopi Nijjar murder case
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, police said.
Police claimed the trio had carried out the murder of Gopi Nijjar in Kapurthala on April 30 on the instructions of the foreign-based gangsters. The Doni Bal gang had later claimed responsibility for the killing through a social media post, police added.
According to officials, Prabhjot Singh and Jobanpreet Singh were among the main shooters in the murder case along with another accused, Gaurav alias Gola, who has already been arrested. Ajay Pal Singh allegedly arranged weapons for the shooters and was part of the conspiracy.
Gang recruited youth with promise of settling abroad
Police further alleged that the accused were involved in trafficking weapons to other gang members on the directions of foreign-based handlers.
Officials 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, has previous criminal cases registered against him in Punjab, police said.
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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