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Ludhiana: Masked gunmen open fire at luxury car rental office, slips naming two gangsters left behind
Seven to eight rounds fired at Royal Limos damaging vehicles and office facade, police probe extortion angle, none injured
Two bike-borne masked assailants opened fire at the office of a luxury car rental service on the Ludhiana-Ferozepur Road near Baddowal on Saturday morning, damaging the glass facade of the office and high-end vehicles parked outside. No one was injured in the incident, police said.
According to police, the firing took place around 10.30 am outside Royal Limos, a facility that provides luxury cars such as Mercedes and Range Rover on rent for weddings and other occasions. At the time of the incident, employees were present inside the office and escaped unhurt.
According to office staff, two masked youths arrived on a motorcycle and fired seven to eight rounds at the office and the vehicles parked outside before fleeing. At least two bullets hit the glass front of the office, while several others struck the windshields of a Mercedes and a Range Rover, causing damage.
After firing the bullets, the attackers reportedly threw slips bearing the names of gangsters Pawan Shaukeen and Mohabbat Randhawa at the spot, they added.
According to police, Shaukeen, an A-category gangster, is currently operating from in the United States, while Randhawa is an aide of criminal Doni Bal, a member of Devinder Bambiha gang.
The police said that CCTV cameras installed in the area captured the incident and one of the videos show an assailant getting off the motorcycle and firing at the office and parked luxury vehicles, while the accomplice waits nearby with the bike.
Employees Satnam, Nirmal and Gurpreet said they were inside the office when the firing began. “We heard gunshots and people outside started running. After some time, we came out and informed the police,” they said.
Deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Varinder Singh Khosa said preliminary investigation suggests an extortion-related motive behind the attack. “Two unidentified masked assailants carried out the firing. Slips recovered from the spot mention two names, which are being verified,” the DSP said.
The police have recovered bullet shells and the slips from the spot. “CCTV footage from nearby areas is being examined to trace the escape route of the assailants. The owners of the luxury car rental service are also being questioned to ascertain whether they had received any threats earlier,” the DSP added.
The incident is the latest in a series of extortion-related firing cases reported in the city in recent weeks. Police said efforts were on to establish whether the latest incident was linked to the earlier cases.
Recent spate of extortion firings
On the intervening nights of January 5 and 6, three bike-borne miscreants opened fire at a readymade garment showroom in Civil City following an extortion bid. The showroom owner later claimed he had received a threat call from a foreign number demanding ₹50 lakh as extortion money.
On January 6, a city-based businessman reportedly received extortion threats of ₹10 crore from a person claiming to be associated with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, following which the Sarabha Nagar police registered a case.
On December 12, police arrested an aide of gangster Amrit Dalam after an exchange of fire near Samrala Chowk. The accused was allegedly demanding ₹1 crore from a jeweller.
