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Acting tough: 55 encounters in 6 months, 15 criminals eliminated in Punjab
More than 55 encounters have taken place in Punjab in the past six months starting November 2023 to March this year out of around 93 shootouts witnessed in two years of this Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab. During this police have neutralised 15 criminals.
On Monday, hardcore criminal Sukhwinder Singh, alias Rana was shot dead at Bhangala town in Mukerian a day after he killed a police head constable. This was the 55th such instance of an encounter in the past six months in which 15 notorious criminals have been killed.
The frequency of encounters, as per police officials, is in line with the new policy of the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government to go tough on the criminals.
More than 55 encounters have taken place in Punjab in the past six months starting November 2023 to March this year out of around 93 shootouts witnessed in two years of this Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab. During this police have neutralised 15 criminals.
In the Mohali district alone, as many as 19 gangsters have been injured and 21 arrested following encounters with the Mohali police and Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF), Mohali police, have been involved in 13 encounters. AGTF took on gangsters in six shootouts.
Similar is the story from other districts where gangsters were either killed or arrested after an exchange of fire with the police. Interestingly, in almost 80% of the cases, the gangster/s received bullet injuries to the legs. Most gangsters injured in police encounters are little known and not on the list of “wanted and most wanted” categories.
The present encounter spree started on November 29 when two gangsters Sanjeev Kumar and Shubham Gopi, wanted in the industrialist Sambhav Jain kidnapping case, were killed in an exchange of fire with the Ludhiana police at Tibba bridge on the Ludhiana-Doraha road.
Many encounters have also raised several questions like on December 21, when gangster Amritpal Singh (22), alias Amari, was arrested and in handcuffs was killed in an exchange of fire with the police while allegedly trying to flee in Jandiala Guru of Amritsar Rural police district.
Amari was arrested a day back in a murder case and was taken to Jandiala Guru to effect the recovery of 2kg heroin, which he claimed to have concealed there. He allegedly fired at the police team from a pistol hidden there while in handcuffs and tried to flee.
On December 15, a gangster was similarly injured in the leg during a shootout with Mansa Police.
Senior police officials admitted that acting tough on gangsters is the result of immense pressure the police and the government is facing from the public to ensure law and order in Punjab. “With general elections due in a couple of months the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government didn’t want to look weak in reining criminals,” he said.
An anti-gangster task force (AGTF) official, dealing with gangster cases, said cops were left with little option but to fire back.
“Use of bullet is must, to give a clear message to criminals that enough is enough,” said a Mohali-based police official, who has been involved in multiple encounters with criminals in which most of the outlaws suffered bullet injuries to their legs.
The AGTF, since its formation on April 6, 2022, has succeeded in busting 295 gangster/criminal modules, arresting 912 gangsters/criminals and neutralising 11, after recovering 924 weapons, and 199 vehicles used in criminal activities.
Guns from MP a headache for cops
Senior Punjab police official said that the easy availability of guns made in Madhya Pradesh is making it tough to tighten the noose around the criminals as many small-time outlaws are trying to build their modules and gangs.
Punjab Police’s figures reveal that more than 400 illegal weapons have been seized in Punjab this year. “These guns are easily available in Punjab at the cheapest rate of ₹30,000 to ₹50,000. You just have to procure one to become a gangster. Police have cracked record modules to bust this weapon supply but their network is still functioning and seems to be deeply connected with unruly elements in Punjab,” said a DGP rank officer.
