Gangster Ranbir Singh, alias Rana Kandowalia succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday morning, a day after he was shot at by four unidentified persons in an Amritsar-based private hospital where he had gone to enquire about his cousin sister’s health.
The commissionerate police have booked notorious gangster Jagdeep Singh, alias Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, who is lodged in Delhi’s Tihar jail, his associates Jagroshan Singh and Money Rayya besides two unidentified persons in Kandowalia’s killing.
The case was registered under sections 302 (murder) and 442 (house trespass) of the Indian Penal Code.
Kandowalia, who was facing nearly 15 cases, including that of murder and attempt to murder, was out on bail since 2019 and even got married in the interim period. He hailed from Kandowalia village in Amritsar district’s Ajnala sub-division.
The police said the assailants pumped six bullets into Kandowalia’s body night after barging into the hospital on Tuesday. During the firing, his close associate Tejbir Singh Teji, a leader of the Shiromani Akali Dal’s student wing Student Organisation of India (SOI), also received three bullet injuries, but his condition is stated to be stable. A hospital guard also sustained a bullet injury on his leg. The police said Tejbir also fired from his pistol, injuring one of the assailants who managed to escape.
In the CCTV footage procured from the hospital, the assailants are seen fleeing from the hospital with Teji firing at them.
{{/usCountry}}In the CCTV footage procured from the hospital, the assailants are seen fleeing from the hospital with Teji firing at them.
{{/usCountry}}FB post claims ‘responsibility’
An unverified Facebook post on an account named after Bhagwanpuria claimed that the gangster and his “brother” got executed Kandowalia’s murder. The post claimed that one Mandeep Batala, also a history sheeter, killed Kandowalia at the instance of Bhagwanpuria for supporting gangsters Vicky Gounder and Devinder Bambiha in the past.
Deputy commissioner of police (investigation) Mukhwinder Singh Bhullar said, “We are examining the authenticity of the post. So far, we have not booked Mandeep Batala and Goldy Brar in the case. According to the eyewitnesses, gangsters Jagroshan and Money Rayya were among the four persons who attacked Rana.”
They will bring Bhagwanpuria on production warrant from the Tihar jail, the DCP said.
Jagroshan and Money are facing seven and 12 criminal cases, including that of murder, attempt to murder and extortion.
Also, Kandowalia was fired at by some unidentified persons after attending a hearing in a murder case in an Amritsar court in February last year, but escaped unhurt. The police had suspected Bhagwanpuria’s role in the attack.
Kandowalia was one of the key accused in the 2016 Patti gang-war between the gangs led by Bobby Malhotra and Devinder that left gangster Dilbag Singh, alias Lama Patti dead. He had surrendered before the then special task force (STF) headed by then inspector general (IG) Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh in February 2017.
In April 2017, Rana’s close associate Sukhwinder Singh, alias Lala was shot dead by Bhagwanpuria’s associate Saraj Singh who was also involved in the killing of Vipan Sharma, a Hindu outfit leader, in 2018.