Drug peddler injured in Amritsar police encounter, two pistols seized

An alleged drug peddler, identified as Bikramjit Singh (22) from Bhakna village, was apprehended today near the Bhagtanwala garbage dump after sustaining a bullet injury to his leg during a brief encounter with Amritsar police.

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He has been hospitalised for treatment.

Bikramjit Singh is reportedly the prime accused in a June 11 incident where he allegedly fired upon a Gharinda police party near Neshta village while they were recovering 5kg of heroin smuggled from Pakistan. During that incident, Gurjit Singh (35) of Rasulpur village, Tarn Taran, was killed in the exchange of fire, while police personnel narrowly escaped.

According to Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, who visited the spot, Bikramjit, a motorcycle mechanic, was involved in cross-border drug and weapon smuggling. Police confiscated two pistols from his possession — a 9mm Austrian-made Glock and a Pakistan-made ‘star mark’ pistol.

The encounter occurred when a police team from Anngarh police chowk signaled a motorcyclist to stop at a naka near the Bhagtanwala grain market. Bikramjit allegedly attempted to flee by taking a quick U-turn, however he slipped. When the police tried to apprehend him, he allegedly opened fire, prompting retaliatory fire from the police, resulting in his leg injury.

The rural police had previously arrested another drug peddler who accompanied Bikramjit during the Neshta village incident, where 5kg of heroin was seized. In addition to the pistols, a motorcycle without a number plate was recovered from Bikramjit, with its ownership currently being verified.

Preliminary investigations suggest the firearms were smuggled from Pakistan. Bikramjit is also reportedly associated with a previously arrested smuggler named Happy.