Police foil kidnapping plot, conspirator dies in encounter

The mindset of Punjabi youth seeking to improve their economic status by any means was identified as the key motive behind the recent child abduction case in Seehan Daud. The main conspirator was killed in a police encounter during the rescue operation, while another accomplice was injured in a separate shootout that took place as police retrieved a concealed weapon.

This conclusion was drawn by senior officers from the Amargarh police, who played a pivotal role in the child’s rescue by arresting two kidnappers involved in the abduction on Wednesday.

Malerkotla SSP Gagan Ajit Singh asid a team of officers, led by DSP Amargarh Davinder Singh Sandhu, SHO Gurpreet Kaur and CIA In-charge Harjinder Singh, were instrumental in coordinating the operation under the supervision of DIG Mandeep Sidhu.

“The police teams worked overnight, following intelligence about the abduction of Bhawkirat Singh from Seehan Daud. We formed separate teams to track down the kidnappers, who were later identified as Harpreet Singh from Bathan village and Ravi Bhinder from Jaggowal,” said SSP Gagan Ajit Singh. He added without tracing the kidnappers’ movements in Amargarh, the child’s rescue would not have been possible.

The operation turned deadly on Thursday when the mastermind of the crime, Jaspreet Singh of Seehan Daud, was killed in a police encounter. The following day, Harpreet Singh was injured in a shootout with the Amargarh police while being taken to Salar village for the recovery of a weapon. He had attempted to escape and fired at the officers, prompting them to return fire, injuring him in the leg.

Further investigation revealed Jaspreet Singh had convinced Harpreet Singh and Ravi Bhinder to join him in the abduction of the child for ransom. Both men were motivated by financial struggles, believing agriculture was no longer a profitable venture. While Harpreet Singh owned land, Bhinder farmed fifty acres of rented land.

The police have also verified statements from Jaspreet Singh’s father, Lakhwinder Singh, who claimed to have been unaware of his son’s arrival in India. Harpreet Singh and Bhinder stated Jaspreet spent most of his time in an SUV rented through a friend in Nabha and meetings were held at Bathan village to plan the abduction.

Jaspreet Singh had reportedly kept his financial troubles and intentions to himself, not disclosing any motivations for his actions to his family.

In recognition of the decisive action of the officers involved, the Punjab Director General of Police (DGP), Gaurav Yadav, announced a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh and promotions for the police personnel who led the operation.