E-Paper
Ludhiana: Contract killing bid foiled, coloniser among two held
The police recovered two illegal country-made pistols, two sharp-edged weapons and ₹2.70 lakh in cash—believed to be part of the ₹3 lakh advance paid for the hit
The city police on Thursday claimed to have foiled a contract killing plot with the arrest of two key suspects, including a prominent city coloniser. The arrested accused have been identified as Amit Kumar and his associate Simranjeet Singh alias Bagga, who was allegedly hired to carry out the murder.
The police recovered two illegal country-made pistols, two sharp-edged weapons and ₹2.70 lakh in cash—believed to be part of the ₹3 lakh advance paid for the hit.
Addressing a press conference, police commissioner Swapan Sharma said that three more accused—Tajinder Singh alias Pala, Lakha and Kishan—are absconding. Efforts are on to trace and arrest them, he said.
The alleged target of the plot, Prem Singh Babbar, a property dealer and former business associate of Amit Kumar, had approached police with a complaint about a threat to his life. The dispute between the two is believed to be linked to an ongoing property conflict. Bagga claimed he noticed some people doing a recce of him. A formal investigation was launched under the supervision of DCP Harpal Singh and ADCP (Investigation) Amandeep Singh Brar.
During the probe, it emerged that Amit Kumar, already facing multiple criminal cases under the IPC and Arms Act, had previously met Bagga while both were in police custody. Bagga, who was then booked under the NDPS Act, came in contact with Kumar in the lock-up. After Kumar’s release, he arranged Bagga’s bail by paying ₹70,000.
“Once out, Amit called Bagga to his office at Basant City and handed him ₹3 lakh to eliminate Prem Singh Babbar,” said the police commissioner. “Bagga, along with three associates, had begun surveillance on the target. However, with timely police action, the murder plot was prevented,” he said.
A case under Sections 55 and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has been registered at Sadar police station. Further investigations are ongoing to uncover the full extent of the conspiracy and apprehend the remaining accused.
