Residents block GT Road to lodge protest

GS Paul

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 15

Even as the police have been successful in arresting the main accused this evening, who had shot dead a shopkeeper and a rickshaw-puller at Putlighar area market, scores of residents blocked the main GT Road for more than four hours in the morning resenting the deplorable law and order situation prevailing in the city.

The residents dispersed after the police gave them assurance about arresting the other accused soon and to maintain regular patrolling in the area.

Police Commissioner JS Aulakh said they appeared to be the same persons who had looted an artificial jewellery shop at gun point in the Gwal Mandi area on February 12, located just 400 mt away from the Putlighar spot.

“The main accused, Mukhwinder Singh, is in the custody of the Amritsar rural police and he is being interrogated. His accomplice will also be nabbed shortly. They must have been the same persons who snatched Rs 6,000 and before escaping, fired bullets at an adjoining chemist shop owner, leaving him injured,” he said.

Meanwhile, during the residents’ protest, scores of politicians, including Congress leaders Raj Kumar Verka, OP Soni, Gurjeet Singh Aujala, and AAP leaders, joined them and raised slogan against the police.

Yesterday, at around 9.30 pm, two persons, including a shopkeeper and a rickshaw pullar were shot dead by unidentified persons in Putlighar area.

The shopkeeper was identified as 22-year-old Ankush, who runs Sunder General Store in the Putlighar market. According to the police, the culprits approached him and demanded small denomination notes for currency garland. Later, they snatched ten wads of Rs 10 notes and tried to flee. As Ankush chased them, one of them fired shot, killing the trader on the spot.

An eyewitness Deepak Babbar, who lives in the locality, was instrumental in locating the whereabouts of the rickshaw-puller identified Salim, a 35-year old man.

It was Deepak, who along with another resident of the locality, took the injured Salim to the hospital on scooter, but their efforts could not save his life.

“The bullet had pierced his throat and he was bleeding profusely. He told me that he worked at the government women’s college canteen but plied rickshaw in the evening to raise his income. It was he who tried to intercept the attackers but lost his life. The administration should at least recognise his bravery. I had procured his mobile phone from where I could contact his family back home in Katiyaar, Bihar, and intimated them about this unfortunate instance. His family members intend to take his body to his native village to perform last rites,” he said.

The police are completing formalities to hand over his body to his kin.