E-Paper
Ludhiana: 3 held for killing habitual offender
Police recovered two illegal pistols from their possession; a detailed investigation has revealed that at least eight individuals were involved in the execution of this crime
In a major breakthrough, Ludhiana police have arrested three accused in connection with the murder of habitual offender Kartik Baggan. The arrests come 24 days after Kartik Baggan was shot dead in a chilling premeditated attack near Sundar Nagar, reportedly stemming from a personal rivalry over a parking dispute.
The arrested individuals are Amandeep Singh alias Sam, Gurvinder Singh alias Gautam, and Sahil. Police recovered two illegal pistols from their possession. A detailed investigation has revealed that at least eight individuals were involved in the execution of this crime. Notably, two of the accused—Amandeep Singh alias Sam and Gurvinder Singh alias Vicky Nihang—were apprehended in Maharashtra and brought to Ludhiana on transit remand, while Sahil was arrested from Ludhiana. Sahil had passed the information of Kartik Baggan to the rest of the accused, who later shot him dead.
According to Ludhiana commissioner of police Swapan Sharma, the murder was the result of a deep personal grudge. “Amandeep Singh alias Sam was thrashed by Kartik Baggan after a heated argument over a parking issue, a few months ago. Kartik allegedly assaulted Sam so severely that Sam required stitches,” said the Commissioner. “Sam harboured intense resentment and hatched a plan to eliminate Baggan.”
The primary accused in the case, Gurpreet Singh alias Vicky Nihang, along with Tarandeep Singh, both residents of Barewal Awana, are known to have prior criminal records. Earlier this year, they were arrested by Mohali police in connection with an assault case. Although Vicky Nihang has links to some members of the notorious Gopi Ghanshampur gang, the police confirmed there is no direct involvement of the gang in the murder.
Commissioner Sharma emphasised, “An Instagram post surfaced where the Gopi Ghanshampur gang falsely claimed responsibility for the murder, but our probe found no such link. The killing was executed solely due to Sam’s personal vendetta.” It was further revealed that Vicky Nihang procured the illegal weapons used in the crime, and three two-wheelers were used by the group to execute the attack. Sam himself went to the scene that night, along with the other accused.
The police are continuing their investigation to arrest the remaining five accused involved in this brutal act. The swift action and multi-state chase covering Haryana, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, and Maharashtra underline the commitment of Ludhiana police to tackle organised crime and bring justice to the victim’s family.
