Trader’s murder case cracked in 24 hrs, 2 in police dragnet

Ashok Kaura

Phagwara, September 20

Though the police claimed to have solved the blind murder case of a trader within 24 hours by arresting two persons, family members of the deceased staged a dharna and blocked traffic on the national highway near the Sugar Mill Chowk here demanding the arrest of a woman involved in the crime.

The police also recovered two cars and two weapons from the possession of the suspects. The trader, Pankaj Duggal, who had a business of confectionary items in Himachal Pradesh, was shot dead by unidentified assailants outside his house in New Mansa Devi Nagar here on Monday night.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rajpal Singh Sandhu, while addressing a press conference here this afternoon, said the police had arrested Harmanpreet Singh, a neighbour of Pankaj, and his friend Naresh Handa, a resident of Surya Enclave, Jalandhar.

SSP Sandhu termed the murder as outcome of personal enmity. The police recovered a .32 bore revolver, three live cartridges, three empty cartridges, which were used in the crime, a double barrel gun and 10 live cartridges. They also recovered two cars bearing registration numbers PB-30AC-9000 and PB-8EY-4828 from their possession.

When family members of the deceased came to know about the arrest of only two persons, they, along with other residents, came out on road demanding immediate arrest of Surinder Kaur, mother of the accused Harmanpreet, and blocked the highway. The protesters alleged that the woman was main conspirator.

Phagwara SP Gurpreet Singh Gill rushed to the dharna site to pacify the protesters. After SP Gill assured the protesters of nominating Surinder Kaur in the FIR, they lifted the dharna.

Meanwhile, SP Gill said both the suspects were produced before the local judicial magistrate who sent them to two-day police remand for further interrogation.

Cops recover 2 cars, weapons from them

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rajpal Singh Sandhu termed the murder as outcome of personal enmity. The police recovered a .32 bore revolver, three live cartridges, three empty cartridges, which were used in the crime, a double barrel gun and 10 live cartridges. They also recovered two cars bearing registration numbers PB-30AC-9000 and PB-8EY-4828 from their possession.