US-based mastermind behind Nakodar cloth merchant's murder; Punjab police solve case with arrest of 3

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 14

With the arrest of three accused from Bathinda, the Punjab Police have successfully solved the double murder case of a Nakodar-based cloth merchant and his personal security officer (PSO) Mandeep Singh on December 7, 2022, with the arrest of three shooters. The crime was masterminded by US-based Amandeep Purewala alias Aman, a native of Nakodar, said Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav here on Wednesday.

Those arrested have been identified as Khushkaran Singh alias Fauji of Nangla village in Talwandi Sabo, Bathinda; Kamaldeep Singh alias Deep of Vehan Diwan in Bathinda; and Manga Singh alias Geeta alias Bicchu of Jassi Poh Wali village in Bathinda. The police teams have also recovered one .30 bore pistol used in the crime and a Safari SUV used to conduct recce from the possession of arrested persons.

On December 7, 2022, at about 8.30 pm, five unknown persons shot dead cloth merchant Bhupinder Singh alias Timmy Chawla, while his PSO constable Mandeep Singh, who also received bullet shots, later succumbed to the injuries at Capitol Hospital in Jalandhar. Notably, on November 3, 2022, Jalandhar Rural Police on the complaint of Timmy Chawla, who stated that he received threat calls for extortion of Rs 30 lakh, had registered a FIR under Sections 387 and 506 of the IPC at Nakodar City Police Station and two security personnel were immediately provided to him.

DGP Gaurav Yadav said police have also identified two main conspirators as Amrik Singh of Bathinda and Gurinder Singh alias Ginda of Malri in Nakodar, who conducted recce, arranged shooters and weapons on directions of Amandeep Purewal, besides, identifying the remaining two shooters— Satpal alias Sajan and Thakur. “Police teams are on a manhunt to arrest the absconding shooters and both conspirators,” he said.

The DGP, while ruling out the association of Amandeep Purewal with any other gang or gangsters, said that the mastermind Amandeep Purewal, in a bid to float his new gang to create terror in the border state has made Timmy Chawla as his first target and made extortion calls to him while in the US. “Later, Amandeep Purewal along with Amrik Singh and Gurinder Ginda hatched a conspiracy to eliminate Timmy Chawla, and arranged five shooters, who opened fire at the victim and his PSO in the evening of December 7,” he said, adding that the Punjab Police have successfully nipped this gang in the bud.

DGP Gaurav Yadav reiterated that Punjab Police is committed to making Punjab a safe and secure state as per the vision of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.  

Disclosing more details, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Jalandhar Rural Swarandeep Singh said the district police acted swiftly by constituting separate teams to work on different angles, some inmates were brought on production warrant from various jails for questioning, and, technical investigation was conducted by analysis of CCTV footage and data from mobile service providers, which revealed some important clues which were further developed and led to the arrest of the accused. The perpetrators have no previous police record.

Further investigation and searches are being conducted to apprehend the remaining accused shooters and conspirators who provided logistics, he added. A separate FIR had been registered under Sections 302, 307 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and section 25 of the Arms act at Police Station City Nakodar in this regard.

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