Crime syndicate: Cops claim to have averted targeted killings
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, August 17
With the arrest of three members of organized crime syndicate being operated by Portugal-based gangster Manpreet Singh, aka Munn Ghanshampuria, the Amritsar Rural Police claimed to have averted targeted killings. During a preliminary interrogation, they revealed that Manpreet Singh had tasked them to kill a woman in Tanda in Hoshiarpur, besides shooting rival gang members.
The trio – Navraj Singh of Nath Ki Khuhi, Gurpreet Singh and Gagandeep Singh of Mehsampur village in Mehta – were arrested with three weapons, including a revolver, four mobile phones and a Thar vehicle on Friday. They were remanded in police custody for further interrogation.
They were arrested in connection with the firing outside Master Book Store at Mehta last month following which its owner got a call from Munn Ghanshampuria demanding ~50 lakh extortion.
Though the three accused did not have any criminal record, the gang was working at the behest of Manpreet Singh and another notorious gangster Balwinder Singh, aka Doni. The duo (Doni and Manpreet) was part of the Bambiha gang.
Doni has around 13 criminal cases, including of murder, attempt to murder, drug peddling and extortion.
The two were also wanted in the broad daylight murder of another gangter Jarnail Singh at Sathiala village in May last year. A gang war was stated to the reason behind the incident. Besides them, the police had also nominated another suspect Jobanjit Singh, alis Billa, of Arjanmanga village. He was also one of the shooters involved in firing outside Master Book Store. Joban had four criminal cases of murder, murder bid and NDPS Act.
Recently, unidentified associates of Manpreet and Doni had shot dead a youth, Deep Inder Singh, on the eve of the Lok Sabha polls at Lakhowal village in Ajnala. Following the murder, the village had boycotted the polls. Doni had claimed the responsibility of the murder.
SSP, Amritsar (Rural), Charanjit Singh said that Navraj and Gurpreet were in contact with Manpreet through social media platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal application. Manpreet had transferred Rs 18,000 through UPI to Gurpreet Singh for procuring some vehicle for carrying out shooting at rival gang members.
