In the third encounter in eight days, the Mohali police nabbed two criminals, allegedly owing allegiance to the Prince Chauhan gang and involved in at least eight cases of extortion, from Daun village in Balongi area after an exchange of fire on Thursday.
The accused have been identified as Brijpal and Pardeep alias Shanti, both residents of Naraingarh area of Haryana’s Ambala district. The duo suffered fractures in their leg due to bullet wounds sustained during police retaliatory fire and have been hospitalised.
Caught while duo was on way to threaten property dealer
Speaking to the media from the encounter site, Mohali senior superintendent of police (SSP) Sandeep Garg said, “The Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) got a tip-off in the afternoon that the two, who figure in the Punjab Police’s wanted list, were roaming around in Daun village. We have now found out that they were going to threaten a property dealer. Soon after the tip-off, a CIA team, led by deputy superintendent of police Gursher Sandhu and inspector Shiv Kumar, left for the village to conduct a search operation.”
“On spotting the accused on a motorcycle, the cops signalled them to stop. But instead of stopping, they tried to escape, and, in the process, hit a police car with their bike. Following this, the accused opened fire at the police party. In the retaliatory fire from the police, accused Brijpal suffered three bullet wounds in his legs whereas Pardeep sustained two bullets. They have also suffered fractures due to the bullet wounds and will undergo surgery on Friday. They will be produced in court once they are discharged from the hospital,” said SSP Garg, adding that no cop was injured during the exchange of fire.
{{/usCountry}}“On spotting the accused on a motorcycle, the cops signalled them to stop. But instead of stopping, they tried to escape, and, in the process, hit a police car with their bike. Following this, the accused opened fire at the police party. In the retaliatory fire from the police, accused Brijpal suffered three bullet wounds in his legs whereas Pardeep sustained two bullets. They have also suffered fractures due to the bullet wounds and will undergo surgery on Friday. They will be produced in court once they are discharged from the hospital,” said SSP Garg, adding that no cop was injured during the exchange of fire.
{{/usCountry}}Two weapons were recovered from their possession.
A case under Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 186 (obstructing public servant) and 353 (assault to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Sections 25/64/59 of Arms Act has been registered against the accused at Balongi police station.
Duo wanted in extortion cases: SSP
Speaking about their criminal past, SSP Garg said, “The duo had made at least eight extortion calls to people in various areas of Mohali, including Balongi, Mullanpur, Kurali and Jhampur. They used to act on the directions of gangster Prince Chauhan, who is active in Punjab. The accused were also part of the group that threw a threat note and three live cartridges in the house of Congress leader Kamaljit Singh Chawla in Kurali on December 8.”
As per preliminary findings, Brijpal already had at least eight FIRs, including two of attempt-to-murder, lodged against him at various police stations in the state.
Gangsters feel the heat
On December 13, a gangster, Karanjit Singh alias Jassa Happowal, was shot in both legs when he tried to escape from Punjab Police’s custody at Peer Muchalla in Zirakpur town. Karanjit was brought on a production warrant from a Punjab jail to investigate murder bid case registered in Zirakpur in July.
On December 16, two gangsters, wanted in at least six cases of carjacking and extortion in Mohali, were shot in the legs as they tried to flee on being intercepted by district police’s crime investigation agency (CIA) at Saneta in Sohana area of the town on December 16. The accused, Karamjit Singh of Kurukshetra and Parambir Singh, alias Prince, of Rajpura, both around 25, were driving a car they had snatched in November when they encountered the police.