Ludhiana: Decorative lights thief shoots at man trying to nab him

Police officials identified the accused as Ramanand, a resident of Krishna Nagar on Tajpur Road, and said efforts are being made to nab him.

A suspect trying to steal decorative lights on Monday opened fire at residents who were attempting to nab him in Jagdishpura area on Tajpur Road, officials said.

According to locals, decorative lights had been going missing from houses in the area for several days. (HT File)

They added that 28-year-old Prince sustained a bullet injury and was rushed to a hospital. Jaggu Singh escaped unhurt in the incident, they said.

Police officials identified the accused as Ramanand, a resident of Krishna Nagar on Tajpur Road, and said efforts are being made to nab him.

According to locals, decorative lights had been going missing from houses in the area for several days. On Friday, lights were stolen from the home of Prince’s uncle. When they scanned footage from closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, they saw a suspect coming trying to steal the lights between 2.30 am and 3.30 am.

Prince’s father Surjit Kumar said they planned to catch the thief and kept vigil during those hours.

He said around 3.40 am, the accused turned up with a carry bag. Prince and Jaggu Singh tried to restrain him, following which the suspect flashed a gun and fired at them. The bullet hit Prince in his stomach, he said. Prince was rushed to a hospital by his family and his condition has been stated as serious.

Assistant commissioner of police (ACP East) Sumit Sood said the bullet pierced Prince’s stomach and police recovered a cartridge from the spot. The ACP added that the accused is already facing trial in a similar case. He was booked for firing a gun in the Tibba area in 2022.