Ludhiana: Gangster shot in leg amid ‘escape bid’ in Khanna
According to SSP Jyoti Yadav, gangster Gagandeep Singh had been on the police radar ever since a gang war erupted on June 15 near a hotel in Khanna, involving his gang and that of his rival Sukhvir Bhucha
Gangster Gagandeep Singh, alias Garry Lalton, also known as Ravan, was injured in an encounter near the Bhattian railway area on Wednesday. The incident took place after the accused opened fire on police officers during a weapon recovery operation and was subsequently shot in the leg, police said.
According to senior superintendent of police (SSP) Jyoti Yadav, he had been on the police radar ever since a gang war erupted on June 15 near a hotel in Khanna, involving his gang and that of his rival Sukhvir Bhucha. The clash, believed to have started over a personal rivalry involving a woman, escalated into a shootout. Gary and four other suspects were arrested in connection with that incident on Tuesday.
During interrogation, Garry confessed to having hidden a pistol near the railway tracks in the Bhattian locality. Acting on this information, the police on Wednesday took him to the location to recover the weapon. However, in a sudden turn of events, the accused retrieved a concealed pistol from a bush and fired at the police party, narrowly missing them.
Inspector Tarvinder Bedi, station house officer (SHO) at the city police station-2, who was leading the recovery operation, responded, shooting Garry in his leg to neutralise the threat. Garry was overpowered and taken into custody on the spot. SHO Bedi sustained minor injuries during the confrontation. The injured gangster was later admitted to the Khanna civil hospital where he is currently receiving treatment under police supervision.
“The gangster attempted to attack our team while we were recovering a weapon based on his own disclosure. His intentions were clear, but our team acted swiftly and decisively,” said SSP Jyoti Yadav. She further stated that Garry was already facing multiple criminal cases and that fresh charges, including attempt to murder, assault on public servants and illegal possession of arms, have now been added.
Garry Lalton is known for his involvement in several serious criminal activities, and his arrest is being seen as a significant success for the district police. Officers believe that further interrogation may reveal more details about the gang network operating in Punjab and possibly lead to additional arrests of associates involved in the gang war and other criminal conspiracies.
The police have confirmed that they are treating the entire episode as part of a larger crackdown on organised crime and gang violence in the region. Earlier, the police arrested five accused of both gangs, including Garry, his aides Amardesh alias Garry, Pawandeep Singh alias Lovi of Kokri Kalan village in Moga and Gurpreet Singh of Dalla village in Moga besides Prabhjot Singh alias Shaifi of Randhawa village, who is from Sukhvir Bhucha.
Superintendent of police (investigation) Pawanjit stated that Ravan is already facing trial in several cases, including assault and possessing illegal weapons. Amardesh Garry also has two FIRs registered against him in Fatehgarh Sahib and Ludhiana Rural, Pawandeep Lovi has one FIR of assault and Gurpreet Dalla is facing trial in a case of kidnapping. He was declared a proclaimed offender by the court.
