AAP worker among three held with 6 pistols, cartridges

Tribune News Service

Nikhil Bhardwaj

Ludhiana, February 1

The Khanna police on Wednesday arrested an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) worker from Maloud, Deepak Goyal, along with two notorious criminals — Akashdeep Singh of Nathumajra, Ahmedgarh, and Parminder Singh, alias Pindri, of Saharan Majra, Malaud — and recovered six pistols from their possession. The suspects were involved in smuggling of illegal arms and the police also suspect their links with notorious gangster Sukhpreet Buddha.

The police recovered six pistols, including a Glock pistol 9mm (made in Austria) with one live cartridge, one country-made .32 bore with two live cartridges, four country-made .315 bore with 19 live cartridges, from the suspects. The police also seized Toyota Fortuner (HR26BX9400), Etios Liva (PB39J3977) from the suspects. Senior Superintendent of Khanna Harish Om Parkash Dayama addressed a press conference regarding the matter on Wednesday.

The SSP said on January 26 the police had nabbed Akashdeep along with a 9mm Glock pistol. During the questioning of Akashdeep, he admitted that he has links with Parminder Pindi who possesses illegal weapons and he had also got illegal pistol from the links of Parminder. Accordingly, the police on January 30 nabbed Parminder.

Dayama added that later during the questioning of Akashdeep and Parminder, both confessed that their accomplice Deepak Goyal possessed several illegal arms and ammunition. Accordingly, on January 31, Deepak was arrested by the Khanna police and five pistols with cartridges were recovered from him.

The SSP claimed that all accused were suspected to be involved in the smuggling of illegal weapons and investigation also found that Deepak had to use weapons to kill someone in Khanna with whom he had old enmity. On being asked about the person on the target of the açcused, the SSP didn’t reveal the names citing the ongoing probe.

The SSP also revealed that Parminder and Akashdeep had links with gangster Sukhpreet Buddha as the duo had once gave shelter to some criminal at the behest of Buddha and investigation was on to inquire if Deepak also has association with gangster Buddha or not.

The SSP stated that further interrogation of the accused may give more vital leads about the close association of these nabbed accused with gangsters or their any involvement in the crime committed by them at the behest of gangsters.

He said 9mm Glock pistol could only be issued to the police or disciplined forces and it was quite shocking that how these suspects got this weapon. A probe is also on to find out if the nabbed suspects had got this sophisticated weapons from their links with cross-border smugglers.

Sources confirmed that Goyal had joined the AAP in the presence of the party’s Punjab affairs co-incharge Jarnail Singh and Payal MLA Manwinder Singh Giaspura in January 2022. Even his father Sanjeev Goyal had also joined the AAP along with him.

Sources even say Goyal owns seed factories and rice shellers in the area. Before switching loyalty, the father-son duo were active members of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). The SSP, however, denied having information about any political affiliation of the nabbed suspects.

Among the three suspects, Deepak Goyal has no criminal past while others have criminal background. Parminder is already facing cases of attempt to murder, fight, under Arms Act, etc. registered in Ludhiana and Faridkot, while Akashdeep is facing cases of house trespassing, fight and under the Arms Act registered in Ludhiana, Faridkot and Malerkotla.

Buddha, a native of Kussa village in Moga district, had been acting as a self-styled head of the Davinder Bambiha gang after the encounter of the latter in 2016. The gangster has been facing more than 12 cases. He had fled the country in 2018 and was deported from Romania in 2019