New Delhi: Punjab Police on Wednesday arrested three persons, including the main shooter, in connection with the murder of a Bathinda eatery owner, after a brief encounter took place in Baltana, said an official statement by Punjab Information and Public Relations Department.
While addressing a press conference, Inspector General of Police Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said that the shooter has been identified as Lovejeet Singh, while two of his accomplices have been identified as Paramjit Singh and Kamaljit Singh, all residents of Mansa.
IGP Bhullar further stated that the police teams have also recovered two .32-bore and .30-bore pistols along with live cartridges from their possession, the statement said.
Earlier on Saturday (October 28), Harjinder Singh alias Mela was shot dead by two unidentified persons outside his shop. A case was registered under sections 302 and 120B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and section 25 of the Arms Act at Kotwali police station, Bathinda.
IGP Bhullar said that following reliable inputs about the accused persons linked with the Bathinda murder case hiding at a hotel in Baltana, a team of Mohali state special operations cell (SSOC) along with the district police managed to locate them at Hotel Grand Vista.
As the police cordoned off the hotel, one of the accused persons opened fire at the team injuring DSP Pawan Kumar who was leading the team, he said, according to the statement.
He said the police fired back in self-defence during which accused Lovejeet Singh also sustained a bullet injury in his right leg. Both DSP Pawan Kumar and Lovejeet have been admitted to the hospital, he added.
Police said that preliminary investigations have revealed that the accused persons are members of the Arsh Dalla gang, which had also claimed responsibility for Harjinder Mela’s murder, according to the statement by the Punjab Information and Public Relations Department.
A fresh case was registered under sections 307, 353, 186, and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and section 25 of the Arms Act at Zirakpur police station.
According to the police, further investigations are underway.