E-Paper
Gangster injured as Punjab Police open fire in Zirakpur town of Mohali
Karanjit Singh, alias Jassa Happowal, is an accomplice of Pakistan-based gangster-turned-Khalistan terrorist Harvinder Singh Sandhu, alias Rinda, and an operative of gangster Rajesh Kumar, alias Sonu Khatri, gang.
: A gangster, Karanjit Singh alias Jassa Happowal, was shot in both legs when he tried to escape from Punjab Police’s custody at Peer Muchalla in Zirakpur town on Wednesday morning.
Punjab director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said the anti-gangster task force (AGTF) fired two gun shots to prevent Karanjit Singh from escaping in the residential area. An AGTF officer ASI Darshan Singh was injured when the gangster tried to free himself from handcuffs.
Karanjit is an accomplice of Pakistan-based gangster-turned-Khalistan terrorist Harvinder Singh Sandhu, alias Rinda, and an operative of gangster Rajesh Kumar, alias Sonu Khatri gang. Punjab Police arrested Karanjit, who belongs to Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar (formerly Nawanshahr) earlier this month after he had carried out six murders in the state. The police had been on his trail since he carried out three contract killings in three days in October. He faces attempt to murder, carjacking and robbery charges.
AGTF additional inspector general (AIG) Sandeep Goel said that Karanjit Singh was brought on a production warrant from a Punjab jail to investigate an attempt to murder case registered in Zirakpur in July.
He had shot Nawanshahr resident Inderjit Singh and his friend Satinderjit Singh near Metro Plaza City Market in Zirakpur. Both had survived the attack. “Since he is a cold-blooded murderer, the AGTF is investigating his cases. We had brought him here to recover a weapon which the gang had hid in a secluded place near Hotel Midtown, Peer Muchalla. Before attacking Inderjit, Karanjit and his accomplices had done a recce of the area. As we brought him here, he tried to escape. We shot a warning fire but when he didn’t stop, we shot him below the waist. He has been hospitalised for treatment,” Goel said.
DSP Bikram Singh Brar said that a .30-bore China made pistol besides five cartridges was recovered from Karanjit which he had concealed at the time of attack on Inderjit Singh.
Police have now registered a fresh case under sections 186 (Obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 224 ( Resistance or obstruction by a person to his lawful apprehension) and 332 (Voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and under relevant sections of Arms Act at Dhakoli Police Station.
The accused after the encounter was admitted in a local hospital in Dhakoli but he was eventually shifted to GMCH-32 due to critical condition
Karanjit was involved in six murder cases, including the murder of a mother and a daughter, at Bhojowal village in Jalandhar in October in which the accused had also put kerosene on the bodies and faces of both the women before setting them ablaze.
On directions of his foreign handlers, Karanjit was hatching a conspiracy to execute four targeted killings and was on the way to conduct a recce of one of his next targets when he was arrested by the counter intelligence, Jalandhar from the outskirts of Jalandhar on November 30.
