Boy rescued, kidnapper killed in Nabha gunfight
The Punjab Police on Thursday rescued a seven-year-old boy from his three kidnappers after a high-intensity operation that culminated in a 15-minute exchange of gunfire, which resulted in the death of one of the accused, at Mandaur village, near Nabha.
The victim – identified as Bhawkirat Singh, the grandson of Gurjant Singh, an arhtiya (commission agent) from Seehan Daud village in Khanna -- was abducted by two masked men on a motorcycle while he was playing outside his home on Wednesday evening. The kidnappers demanded a ransom of Rs 1 crore from the family.
A statewide alert was issued and a coordinated operation involving the Khanna, Malerkotla and Patiala police led to the arrest of Harpreet Singh and Ravi Bhinder of Amargarh.
DIG (Patiala Range) Mandeep Singh Sidhu said during interrogation, they confessed to handing the child over to Jaspreet Singh (31), the mastermind behind the crime. They also told the police that Jaspreet took the victim in a white Toyota Fortuner.
“The duo confessed that they had decided to kill the child to eliminate evidence. A massive combing operation was launched and the accused was surrounded near Mandaur village,” the DIG said, adding that a gunfight ensued in which the accused and three police personnel sustained bullet injuries.
The child was rescued unharmed, while Jaspreet succumbed to his injuries. The injured police personnel -- constable Rupinder Singh and Home Guards Shivji Giri and Baljider Singh -- were admitted to hospital.
A .32 pistol, an SUV and a motorcycle used in the crime were recovered, the DIG added.
Sources said on his return from Canada, Jaspreet had got engaged four months ago. His family had cordial relations with Gurjant Singh. Both families used to visit each other.
The DIG lauded the police team, highlighting the operation’s success under the supervision of CM Bhagwant Mann and DGP Gaurav Yadav. The DGP announced a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh and promotion for the personnel involved. The 20-hour operation was led by SSPs Jyoti Yadav (Khanna), Nanak Singh (Patiala) and Gagan Ajit Singh (Malerkotla).
Meanwhile, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema went to Seehan Daud village to hand over the rescued boy to his family. He warned that people indulging in heinous crimes would face encounters as “there is no place for such people in the state”. He said the AAP government had given the police a free hand to rid the state of criminal elements.
