The CIA wing of Khanna Police arrested three persons including one local worker of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) with six illegal weapons including an Austria-made 9 mm Glock pistol.
Khanna police said that Deepak Goyal of Maloud, in his thirties, was arrested with five illegal pistols. He is a local AAP worker. He was arrested after two of his accomplices – Akashdeep Singh of Nathumajra village of Malerkotla and Parminder Singh alias Pindri of Saharan Majra village of Maloud- were arrested earlier on January 26 and 30, respectively.
Police said that after a 9 mm Glock pistol was recovered from Akashdeep on January 26 during checking, his interrogation led to arrest of Parminder Singh who further revealed that Goyal had also procured five illegal weapons from them.
In a raid conducted late Tuesday, police recovered five country-made pistols including one of 32 bore and four of 315 bore from Goyal. A total of 22 cartridges were also recovered. The imported Glock pistol is largely used by Punjab Police cops only.
Police said that Goyal had procured these weapons ahead of Punjab assembly elections last year. Sources said that Goyal was having an enmity with a man from Khanna due to which he got weapons with a motive to kill him and also for his self-defence.
Goyal had joined AAP in presence of party’s Punjab affairs co-incharge Jarnail Singh and Payal MLA Manwinder Singh Giaspura. His father Sanjeev Goyal had also joined AAP. The family was earlier associated with Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). The family owns several seed factories and rice shellers in the area.
Addressing a press conference, Kaustubh Sharma, IG Ludhiana range, said that during checking on January 26, Akashdeep Singh who was traveling in an Etios Liva vehicle was stopped and a Glock pistol was recovered with one cartridge. During his interrogation, it was revealed that he used to procure illegal weapons from Parminder Singh alias Pindri who was then arrested on January 30. Parminder further revealed that Goyal had also taken five weapons from them.
Khanna DSP (investigation) Jashandeep Singh Gill said that Akashdeep and Parminder were history-sheeters. Akashdeep was already booked in five cases for house-trespass and keeping illegal weapons. Six FIRs were registered against Parminder including that for attempt to murder, illegal weapons etc.
A fresh FIR under the sections 25/54/59 of IPC was registered against the trio at Maloud police station.