Punjab: An extortion attempt took a bloody turn when a local trader allegedly opened fire in self-defence, killing one of the suspects. Sukhwinder Singh alias Noni, a resident of Naushera Pannuan village in Tarn Taran and cousin of gangster Satnam Singh Satta Naushera, was shot dead when he, along with his two accomplices, had allegedly gone to extort money from a seed trader (the police have withheld the name). Efforts are being made to identify his accomplices who fled after the trader opened fire, SSP Abhimanyu Rana said.
Noni and his unidentified accomplices were in touch with Gopi Nambardar, who is currently lodged in jail. He is a close associate of Satta Naushera and has several criminal cases registered against him. Noni had called the victim over phone and threatened to kill him and his family while extorting money, the SSP said. The suspect and his two accomplices had gone to extort money from the trader. One of them stood at a distance with the bike while Noni and his other accomplice went to the victim. The victim refused to give the money, following which a heated argument broke out between the two. In the scuffle, the businessman opened fire, killing Noni. “We will bring Gopi on a production warrant for further investigation,” the SSP said.
