Criminals’ gang busted, five held

Tribune News Service

Mohali, June 27

The police have busted an inter-state gang of criminals by arresting five of its members here. With their arrest, the police claim to have worked out a case of snatching of a single-barrelled gun from a private security guard of a local jewellery shop after injuring him seriously.

The accused have been identified as Harmanjot Singh of Moga, Baljinder Singh, alias Bhuchi, of Ferozepur, Ajay Thakur, alias Laddi, of Hoshiarpur, Anuj Jagga of Panipat and Karanvir, alias Nonu. The police claimed that they were conspiring to eliminate two persons due to enmity. “Before they could give shape to their nefarious designs, our team, led by Mohali SP (Investigations) Harbir Singh Atwal, arrested them along with firearms and cars that were taken away forcibly,” said Mohali SSP Kuldeep Singh Chahal.

The police have recovered the single-barrelled gun, which they had snatched from the security guard on June 17, along with seven live cartridges, two 12-bore pistols with 12 cartridges, a 32-bore pistol with three cartridges and a Verna car and a Creta from their possession. 

The SSP said Harmanjot Singh, along with his accomplices, was conspiring to kill Gagandeep Singh due to enmity. “Bhuchi was planning to murder Gurpreet Singh, the sarpanch of his village,” said Chahal. 

The Verna car was used in the crime in which Harmanjot, Bhuchi and Anuj Jagga had snatched the single-barrelled gun from security guard Tilak Raj after hitting him with a baseball bat on his head. The incident had occurred on June 17 at the Phase 3B2 market at night.

The SSP said the Verna car came on the police radar due to the alertness of Constable Naripjit Singh. The miscreants had forcibly taken away a Creta from Dr Raminder Sharma after hitting him with a baseball bat on his head at Lande village on Sunday. “Dr Sharma’s condition is still critical and he is under treatment at a hospital in Ludhiana,” said the police. 

The SSP said all five were hardcore criminals.  “At least 10 cases have been registered against Bhuchi while Harmanjot Singh is facing at least three cases, including an attempt-to-murder case, in different police stations across the state,” said Chahal.

Promotion for cop likely

While the entire team, led by SP (Investgations) Harbir Singh Atwal, will be given commendation certificates, Constable Naripjit Singh will be recommended for promotion for his role in the team’s success in solving the case. Naripjit Singh remembered the number of the Verna car after noticing its suspicious movement in Phase 3B2 on June 17 (when the accused had snatched the gun from security guard Tilak Raj).