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AAP sarpanch’s murder in Tarn Taran: Main accused held in Phillaur
The Jalandhar rural police have arrested the kingpin involved in the murder of AAP sarpanch in Tarn Taran’s Adda Chabal village
Jalandhar : The Jalandhar rural police have arrested the kingpin involved in the murder of AAP sarpanch in Tarn Taran’s Adda Chabal village.
Awan Kumar Khullar, alias Sonu Cheema, was shot dead by two assailants who opened fire at him while he was sitting in a salon on January 13 this year.
The arrested accused has been identified as Jagdeep Singh Gill, a resident of Tarn Taran. According to the police, Gill is close associate of Canada-based gangster Amritpal Singh Bath, who orchestrated Gill’s murder.
Jalandhar’s senior superintendent of police (SSP) Harkamal Preet Singh Khakh said the accused was apprehended following a tip-off while he was traveling from SBS Nagar to Phillaur and was on his way to Tarn Taran. His vehicle was intercepted near a checkpost in Phillaur.
Khakh added that a .32 bore pistol and a car were recovered from his possession, leading to registration of a fresh case under the Arms Act in the Phillaur police station.
“Jagdeep was wanted in the case registered at Jhabal police station in Tarn Taran under Sections 302 (murder), 34 (common intention), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC and Section 25 of the Arms Act,” he said.
The SSP said during preliminary investigation, the accused revealed that he had acted on the instructions of Bath, who is currently based in Canada.
“After executing the crime, Gill followed an elaborate escape plan — first fleeing to Thailand, then moving to Dubai, before entering Nepal. He then stayed in Uttar Pradesh for some time before taking shelter at his in-laws’ house in Ambala, before the police tracked his movement,” he said.
Khakh said the accused transported the two shooters to the site where Cheema was murdered.
“The police are now focusing on identifying the main shooters and other accomplices involved in the crime. Investigators are also probing the network that aided Gill’s escape and tracking the money trail,” the SSP said.
