CHANDIGARH: In a joint operation on Thursday, the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) of the Punjab Police and Special Task Force (STF) of the Haryana Police arrested two gunmen in Kaithal who had shot dead a property dealer in the high-security Sector 9 of Chandigarh on Wednesday.
Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said here on Thursday that the two shooters have been identified as Rajan alias Piyush Pehalwan, a resident of Ferozepur, and Pritam Shah, a resident of Nawashahr. Police recovered three weapons from them including a .30 bore PX-5 pistol, .30 caliber Chinese pistol and .32 caliber pistol along with ammunition.
Yadav said the accused are key associates of fugitive gangster Lucky Patial of the Bambiha gang. Preliminary investigations revealed that Rajan alias Piyush Pehalwan was also wanted in the high-profile murder of Yadwinder Singh, driver of Jiwanjot Singh alias Jugnu, he said.
He said the AGTF Punjab unmasked the entire module and arrested the accused in less than 30 hours. Further investigations are ongoing, he added.
Sharing operational details, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Promod Ban said that following the shooting, the AGTF promptly launched a special operation under the supervision of DIG AGTF Gurmit Singh Chauhan to unmask and arrest the accused persons involved in the case.
He said that during the operation, the accused opened fire on police teams led by SP AGTF Bikramjit Singh Brar. In the retaliatory exchange, both accused sustained injuries and were immediately shifted to the hospital for treatment, he said.
Bhan said that initial interrogation also revealed that Piyush came from Malaysia via Nepal to execute the killing on the directions of his foreign-based handler.
Chandigarh Police had used CCTV footage to map the shooters’ escape route after they carried out the murder. The duo was captured crossing Attawa Chowk in Sector 42 at 12.33pm, less than 20 minutes after the shootout on Madhya Marg. They abandoned a motorcycle with a counterfeit registration plate in Mohali before fleeing toward Haryana.
The victim Chamanpreet Singh was a property dealer who hailed from Kubaheri village in Mullanpur. The 31-year-old Singh had arrived in his black Fortuner in the parking area near a gym when two bike-borne assailants opened fire at him. The attackers fired at least 11 rounds and fled the scene on a motorcycle.
The Lucky Patial gang reportedly carried out the killing in retaliation for Singh's alleged involvement with rival groups. Police are now investigating the local logistical support that provided the shooters with the counterfeit plates and weapons used in the crime.