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Babbar Khalsa International operative nabbed after encounter in Mohali
The accused, identified as Gurpreet Singh, alias Gopi, a resident of Mandi Gobindgarh, was being tracked by the Kharar CIA team
A man allegedly linked to Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) was injured in a police encounter near Chappar Chiri on Monday, while three of his accomplices were arrested from separate locations across Punjab in connection with the recent Aerocity firing incident.
The accused, identified as Gurpreet Singh, alias Gopi, a resident of Mandi Gobindgarh, was being tracked by the Kharar CIA team. Acting on a tip-off, the CIA team intercepted him near Chappar Chiri, where he attempted to flee despite being asked to surrender.
Gopi allegedly opened fire on the police vehicle, firing two rounds before being shot in the leg during retaliatory action.
According to SP Saurav Jindal, the other three accused, Sachin Kumar, Manpreet Singh and Rajinder Singh, were arrested from different locations in the state on Sunday night.
The arrests come in the wake of the July 10 late-night firing outside a property dealer’s office in Aerocity, where the accused allegedly shot multiple rounds.
The firing was reportedly linked to an extortion demand of ₹2 crore.
The complainant, Ashok Goel, had been receiving extortion calls in the name of BKI, after which an FIR was registered at the IT City police station.
The assailants had fled the scene on a black Splendor motorcycle, which has since been recovered, along with a .32-bore pistol, used in the crime.
The operation was carried out by teams under the supervision of SSP Harmandeep Hans and led by SP Sourav Jindal , SP (Operations) Talwinder Singh, DSP Jatinder Singh Chauhan and Kharar CIA in-charge Harminder Singh.
Police said all four arrested accused had criminal records and were suspected to have ties with BKI operatives based abroad.
Gopi was also wanted in several serious cases registered in Mandi Gobindgarh and Khanna, including attempt to murder and Arms Act violations.
Following the encounter, a fresh FIR was registered at the Balongi police station under Sections 109, 132 and 221 of BNS and relevant Arms Act provisions. Further investigation is underway.
