Wanted gangster injured in encounter, nabbed

A wanted gangster of the Sonu Khatri gang was injured in a police encounter on Monday at village Kamalpur in Goraya. The accused, identified as Gurpreet Singh, alias Gopi, sustained a bullet injury in his left leg during the exchange of fire and was subsequently taken into custody. The police said he was shifted to a hospital.

According to the DSP, Phillaur, Sarwan Singh Bal, Gopi had been absconding since long and was wanted in five cases, including drug trafficking, assault and other criminal activities. Acting on a tip-off that the accused was moving around in the area in a car, the Goraya police, led by SHO Sikandar Singh, set up a check-point. When officials attempted to stop him, Gopi tried to speed away in his vehicle and allegedly fired two shots at the police team.

The police retaliated and one of the bullets struck him in his left leg. He was immediately overpowered and arrested. The police recovered a .32-bore pistol and a car from his possession.

Senior Superintendent of Police (Rural) Harvinder Singh Virk said the accused had been on the run for several months and his arrest is a significant development in the ongoing operations against criminal network in the region.