Punjab: Jalandhar police have arrested five persons in connection with the shootout at the residence of Advocate Gurmohar Singh on September 9. Two of the five were nabbed after an encounter in which they were seriously injured. A cache of illegal arms, ammunition and cash was also recovered in the operation. The operation was launched after a complaint was lodged by a local resident Shankar, who said two unidentified persons looted him at gunpoint. According to Shankar, the assailants were carrying pistols and fled the spot after firing in the air. An FIR was registered on September 12 at Basti Bawa Khel police station under various sections of the BNS and Arms Act. Following the complaint, Jalandhar police launched a massive search operation.
The breakthrough came when the officers spotted two suspects at Leather Complex Waryana. Upon approaching them, the suspects opened fire on the police team. One bullet hit the windshield of the police vehicle, ricocheting off the bulletproof jacket of an officer, while another bullet damaged the headlight of the car. Despite repeated warnings by the police, the suspects continued firing under the cover of darkness and fled to a nearby plot. In the gunfight that followed, both the suspects were seriously injured. During the subsequent arrest, the police seized a .32 bore pistol, one cartridge and one empty shell from Dhruv. Pawan was found with a .315 bore country-made pistol, one cartridge, one empty shell, a motorcycle and Rs 11,000 in cash. In a press conference, Police Commissioner Swapan Sharma revealed that further investigations linked Dhruv and Pawan to the firing incident at the house of advocate Gurmohar Singh.
On September 9, both Dhruv and Pawan opened fire at Gurmohar’s house on the orders of Canada-based handler Gopa, recorded the act and sent the video to Gopa. They were paid Rs 25,000 for this, with a promise of another Rs 25,000. The police have also arrested three others involved in the crime. Surinder Pal Singh, Satbir Singh and Jatinder Singh had allegedly supplied the weapons used in the firing. A .32 bore pistol and 10 cartridges were seized from them. Besides, four more people have been named in the case, including foreign handlers suspected of helping in financial transactions. Those identified include Gopa, who is now living in Canada, Damanpreet Singh, Paramveer Singh and Shubham, who currently lives in the USA. “Investigation is underway to bring these people to justice,” CP Sharma said.
