Bathinda murder suspect among 3 held after Zirakpur encounter

Tribune News Service

Mohali, November 1

The police arrested three persons, including a shooter in the Bathinda eatery owner’s murder case, after a brief encounter at a hotel in Baltana, Zirakpur, today.

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ropar Range, Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, who along with the SSP, SAS Nagar, Dr Sandeep Garg, addressing a press conference, identified the shooter as Lovejeet Singh of Bhikhi in Mansa, while two of his accomplices had been identified as Paramjit Singh and Kamaljit Singh, both of Mansa. Police teams had also seized two .30 bore pistols along with rounds from their possession.

Eatery owner Harjinder Singh Johal was shot dead by two persons when he was sitting outside his shop on Saturday. A case had already been registered under Sections 302 and 120B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 25 of the Arms Act at Police Station, Bathinda, on October 28.

Following reliable inputs about the accused linked with the Bathinda murder case hiding at a hotel in Baltana, State Special Operations Cell (SSOC), Mohali, along with the police, followed the trail and managed to locate them at the hotel. After the police teams cordoned off the hotel, one of the accused started firing at the police, which led to the injury of DSP Pawan Kumar, who was leading the police team.

The police teams retaliated in self-defence, during which accused Lovejeet Singh also sustained a bullet injury in his right leg. Injured DSP Pawan Kumar and accused Lovejeet had been admitted to a hospital.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the accused were members of the Arsh Dalla gang, which had also claimed responsibility for Harjinder’s murder.

A fresh case has been registered under Sections 307, 353, 186 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 25 of the Arms Act at the Police Station, Zirakpur, today.

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