CHANDIGARH: Eliminating the two gangsters allegedly involved in the murder of singer Sidhu Moose Wala came as shot in the arm for the Punjab Police which was facing criticism for not being able to nab the shooters.
Gangsters Jagroop Singh Roopa and Manpreet Singh alias Mannu Kusa were killed in an encounter by the Punjab Police in Amritsar on Wednesday, said Police.
Punjab police was under pressure to arrest the two gangsters, who had been at large since killing of Moose Wala on May 29.
Despite interrogating gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi and Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, police had failed to trace the two shooters, till Wednesday.
It was the Special Cell of the Delhi police which hogged the limelight initially after they arrested three sharp-shooters --Priyavrat Fauji, Kashish, and Ankit Sirsa -- allegedly involved in the Moose Wala murder case.
On the other hand, Punjab Police could only arrest secondary characters, who allegedly provided logistic support, conducted recce, and harboured the shooters.
The performance of the state police was even questioned by the Congress, which pointed out that most of the arrests in the case were made by the Delhi Police.
Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu, popularly known as Sidhu Moosewala, was shot dead in Punjab's Mansa district on May 29.
Punjab Police had earlier claimed that gangster Lawrence Bishnoi was the "mastermind" in Moose Wala's killing.
Moose Wala was shot dead in retaliation to Akali leader Vicky Middukhera's killing that took place last year, police have claimed.
After the Wednesday operation in Amritsar, Punjab Police Anti-Gangster Task Force chief Pramod Ban said they had been following the two shooters since the murder.
"We had been following them ever since Moose Wala was murdered," said Ban.
"We were getting their footprints at various places. We had the latest information about their movement which was noted in this area," he said sharing details of the operation.
"We are going for a crackdown against the gangsters. Punjab police will ensure this gangster culture is finished from the state," he said, adding that the police have on its target all gangs whether they are operating from here or abroad.
"All gangster nexuses whether it is one group, two groups, sitting here, sitting abroad, we are after all of them."
Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav had recently said that eliminating gangster culture and controlling the drug menace were the top priority of the state police.