Robber, cop hurt in shootout at Fatehgarh Sahib

Fatehgarh Sahib

A highway robber and one policeman were injured in an encounter last night near Mandi Gobindgarh in Fatehgarh Sahib district. Addressing mediapersons, Subham Aggarwal, SSP, Fatehgarh Sahib, said, “The police have busted a highway robbers’ gang who used to loot vehicles at gunpoint. Three members of the gang identified as Pinderjit Singh, alias Pinder, and Satnam Singh, of Ludhiana, Gurmeet Singh, alias Meeta, of Kurukshetra, have been arrested. One gang member Rajinder Singh, alias Vicky, of Kurukshetra is on the run.”

The SSP said on September 8, a driver of a truck-trailer loaded with 31 tonnes of iron sheets complained to the police that he was on way to Ludhiana from Ghaziabad. When he reached near the outskirts of Sirhind a Fortuner vehicle (bearing registration No.PB-11DC-7071) signalled him to stop. The driver said as he applied breaks, four persons armed with pistols sprayed chili powder in his eyes and fled with his truck-trailer.

The SSP said a SIT formed to probe the incident succeeded in nabbing one of the suspects identified as Rupinderjit Singh from Chanarthal Kalan village grain market. On his interrogation, other members of the gang were arrested whereas one of them was on the run. The SSP said Rupinderjit, kingpin of the gang, admitted that they had been looting vehicles on the GT road at gunpoint. Rupinderjit told the police that he had hidden a weapon near Mandi Gobindgarh. The police took him to the spot to recover the weapon. As soon as Rupinderjit recovered pistol, he fired at the police party. In retaliation, the police also fired at him. One policeman and Rupinderjit were injured in the exchange of fire. — OC