CHANDIGARH: Two shooters allegedly working for United Kingdom-based gangster Doni Bal were shot dead in an encounter with the Punjab Police and the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) in Ludhiana on Sunday. The two men were allegedly on their way to a blood donation camp in Atam Nagar to open fire on people attending the event.
The blood donation camp was organised in memory of Ravi Khwajke, a Congress leader and former sarpanch of Khwajke village in Ludhiana.
Ludhiana Police Commissioner Swapan Sharma said the two suspects, who hailed from Amritsar, reached near the blood donation camp on a motorcycle.
“Around 25 rounds were fired during the encounter, and bullets hit a police vehicle. Both the accused were carrying sophisticated, fully loaded automatic 9mm weapons. As per prior information, the Ludhiana Police, along with the Anti-Gangster Task Force, had already laid a trap. On spotting the police team, the accused opened fire. The police retaliated, and both accused were shot dead in the exchange of fire,” he said.
Sharma further said both shooters had arrived in Ludhiana the previous night and planned to target the camp on Sunday. “They were allegedly provided the target by wanted gangster Doni Bal to open fire on people present at the venue, but the police intercepted them before they could carry out the attack. The weapons were also allegedly provided by Doni Bal,” he said.
Sharma said the blood donation camp had been organised in memory of Ravi Khwajke, who was shot dead in 2016 at Gill Resort in Ludhiana. “His murder was attributed to the Davinder Bambiha gang, with Bambiha and his associates reportedly opening fire at the resort and killing Khwajke in 2016. Bambiha was later gunned down by the Punjab Police in an encounter in Bathinda in the same year,” he said.
Sharma added that following the killing of Davinder Bambiha in a police encounter, the gang is believed to be controlled by Doni Bal, who is operating from abroad. The police are probing the possible links of the two slain shooters with the Doni Bal gang.
“Further investigation is underway to determine when the two accused reached Ludhiana, who brought them there, and who else was involved in the conspiracy to target the blood donation camp,” he said.
Balwinder Singh, alias Doni Bal, of Pati Balel village in Amritsar, is one of the main handlers of the Gopi Ghanshampuria Gang (Mann Ghanshampuria-Doni Bal faction) and is also associated with the Bambiha gang. Bal is suspected to be hiding in the United Kingdom, from where he allegedly continues to run extortion rackets through his accomplices.
Bal has at least 32 cases registered against him for various offences, including murder, attempt to murder, extortion, arms smuggling, robbery and dacoity. He was allegedly involved in the killing of gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria’s mother and his cousin, Karanbir Singh.
