Gunshots were fired outside a club in Sector 5, Panchkula, on Thursday, days after its management started receiving extortion calls. This is the third such incident in the tricity in a month and a half.
Complainant Jatinder Kumar, the manager of The Escape Club, a microbrewery, said that the incident took place on June 15 about 11.08pm. He said that two men came on a motorcycle and fired multiple shots in the parking of the club before speeding away. However, no one was injured in the incident. Police have recovered two shells from the spot.
Kumar told the police that for the last few months, they had been receiving extortion calls from an international number. The calls came on the club’s number and the extortionists were demanding ₹30 lakh. He said that since May 29, the frequency of the calls had increased and the last such message was received on June 2.
Sources privy to investigations said that preliminary probe reveals that the extortion calls were being made at the behest of gangster Gurjant Singh, alias Janta, the brother of slain gangster Jaspreet Singh Jassi, who, along with gangster Jaipal Singh Bhullar, was killed in an encounter in Kolkata. Janta had taken over the reins of the gang after his brother’s killing. He lives in Australia and operates the gang, mostly through the social media.
A case under Sections 286 (negligent conduct with respect to explosive substance) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of Arms Act has been registered at the Sector-5 police station.
{{/usCountry}}A case under Sections 286 (negligent conduct with respect to explosive substance) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of Arms Act has been registered at the Sector-5 police station.
{{/usCountry}}Deputy commissioner of police (law and order), Panchkula, Nikita Khattar said they are providing security to every person after reviewing the threat perception. She refused to share any further details regarding investigations in this case.
Similar incidents in tricity
Days after arresting three shooters who were allegedly planning to eliminate the owner of a lounge bar in Sector 26, UT police on Friday provided protection to the latter. In this case too, the shooters were allegedly operating on the directions of gangster Gurjant Singh, alias Janta.
The UT police also provided a personal security officer to a Mohali trader who was shot in the leg by three masked men outside his toy shop in Jhampur, Mohali, in the second week of June. The attack is suspected to be the handiwork of an organised gang of extortionists. The trader had told police that he had been receiving threats from an international number, which bore the picture of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.