Third accused in Mansa firing case arrested; 3 residents honoured for bravery

The Mansa police today claimed to have arrested the third accused in the October 28 firing incident at a shop in town. Notably, the police had yesterday arrested two accused after a brief shootout. Two pistols, along with nine cartridges and six bullet shells, were also recovered from them.

The third accused, Baljinder Singh, a resident of Ropar district, had provided shelter to those arrested yesterday, said Mansa SSP Bhagirath Singh Meena. He added that a special team was working to bust the entire syndicate behind the extortion attempt.

Those arrested on Friday were identified as Gursahib Singh and Ramanpreet Singh, both residents of Ropar. According to the police, Gursahib opened fire on the police team while he was being taken to recover a weapon. He was injured in the ensuing exchange of fire.

DIG Bathinda range Harjeet Singh, who visited Mansa today, said, “Certificates and cash awards have been recommended for the police team that worked tirelessly to nab the accused. They even had to visit other states during the investigation.”

He also commended three residents for their courage during the incident. “Granthi Jagraj Singh, Sheru Garg and Sukhveer Singh risked their lives to help the police. They were honoured with certificates of appreciation today,” said the DIG.

Notably, two unidentified motorcycle-borne youths had opened fire at a pesticide shop owned by Satish Kumar ‘Neetu’, RTI activist Manik Goyal’s uncle, at Gurdwara Chowk in the town at about 4.15 pm on Tuesday. The firing, allegedly carried out with the intent to extort money, triggered panic among shopkeepers. One bullet had hit the shop’s glass and shattered it, while two struck the ground.

As locals tried to catch the assailants, the duo fled the spot, abandoning their motorcycle. The incident sparked outrage in the town, which observed a ‘bandh’ the next day in protest.