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Ambala shootout: Charges framed against gangster Bhupi, aide; trial begins on April 12
Trial will begin on April 12 against Bhupi, a resident of Mohali, and Rakesh Kumar, who hails from Panchkula
A year after the broad daylight shooting at Ambala City’s Kalka Chowk, that left two dead, an Ambala court has framed charges against gangster Bhupinder Singh, alias Bhupi Rana, and his accomplice Rakesh Kumar.
Trial will begin on April 12 against Bhupi, a resident of Mohali, and Rakesh Kumar, who hails from Panchkula, who are facing charges under Sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
In the firing, which took place on March 25, 2021, two men, Pradeep alias Panja, and Rahul, both from Chandigarh’s Mauli Jagran, were shot dead by three shooters, while two others, Gaurav and Ashwani, who were also in the victims’ car, were left critically injured.
Later during investigation, it was revealed that it was a case of mistaken identity and the shooters from the Davinder Bambiha gang, an ally of Bhupi Rana’s gang, had killed the latter’s associates.
The shooters were in fact hired to kill Chandigarh’s Manish Kumar and Manni Topi, both from the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, to avenge the death of their former boss, Amit Bouncer alias Meet, in 2017. The intended targets had escaped unhurt in a similar car.
Police told the court that Bambiha’s shooters had accepted the mistake through a social media post.
Thereafter, Bhupi was brought on production remand from the Kurukshetra Jail and Rakesh was arrested for allegedly going on recce on the orders of his boss.
“…Bhupi had sought information on Manish, who had killed the then handler of Bambiha gang, Amit Bouncer, alias Meet, in Panchkula in 2017. Bhupi was also in contact with Lucky Patial, lodged in Armenia Jail and currently leading the Bambiha gang, and had conspired to kill both (intended targets) to take revenge of Meet’s murder. The mobile phone used by Bhupi was thrown in a hearth by him inside the jail,” the chargesheet read.
Gangster Lucky and the shooters, identified as Neeraj Gupta, alias Chaska, Deepak, alias Maan, and Karam Singh, alias Rinku, remain on the run.
Bhupi’s counsel, advocate Sunil Anand, said, “It was argued in court that the murder section is not made out against my client as he was lodged in jail. He was thus charged for conspiring the killing and causing disappearance of evidence.”
Four shootouts in one year
Other than the Kalka Chowk firing, three other shootings have taken place in Ambala within a span of one year. The first among these was reported in June last year, while two men, including an associate of Bhupi, were killed on January 20 this year and another was shot dead on February 26 at a hospital.
In the June case, a local gangster, Saurabh, alias Mau, gunned down his friend-turned-foe, Jeetu, alias Diwakar, near the Hathikhana Mandir in Ambala Cantonment. Six accused have been named in the case.
Trial in this case will begin on June 4. According to advocate Maan Singh Kakran, who is representing Mau and three other accused in court, Mau and Arjun have been charged with murder and attempt to murder, and four others with criminal conspiracy. All six are also facing rioting charges under Sections 148 and 149 of the IPC.
