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Ludhiana: Trader evades second murder bid; names gangster Benipal, his aides
The accused have been booked under Sections 55 (abetment to offence with murder), 61(2) (criminal conspiracy), 351(2) (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with relevant sections of the Arms Act
Barely nine months after surviving a murder bid, city-based shoe trader Gurvinder Singh Prinkle has once again accused gangsters of plotting to kill him.
Prinkle, who was shot inside his Khud Mohalla shop in November 2024 allegedly by gangster Rishav Benipal and his associates, claimed that another criminal, Lakhbir Singh alias Lakhu Baba of Jalandhar, arrived at his Sector 32 shop this week carrying a pistol. Prinkle said the armed man entered the store minutes after he had left and, not finding him there, threatened his workers before walking out.
The trader alleged that Lakhu Baba was acting at the behest of Benipal, who had earlier orchestrated the attack on him. “Lakhbir even made a video call to inform someone that I was not present,” Prinkle said, adding that the incident was captured on CCTV cameras installed in the shop.
Based on Prinkle’s complaint, Division Number 7 police registered an FIR against Lakhbir Singh, gangster Rishav Benipal, and his aides — Inderjit Singh, Harpreet Singh, Gaganpreet Singh, Rajinderpal Singh, Sukhwinderpal Singh, and Shubham. They have been booked under Sections 55 (abetment to offence with murder), 61(2) (criminal conspiracy), 351(2) (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with relevant sections of the Arms Act.
Prinkle, 33, who runs two footwear shops at Khud Mohalla and Sector 32, said he was present with his gunmen at his Chandigarh Road shop before leaving for other work. “Within minutes of my exit, my staff called saying a man with a pistol had stormed in asking for me,” he said.
SHO Sub-Inspector Bhupinder Singh confirmed that CCTV footage clearly showed Lakhbir holding a weapon. “The accused has a criminal background and is already facing multiple FIRs for scuffles and firing incidents. The complainant has also named other individuals suspected of involvement, whose roles are being verified,” the officer said.
Police have launched a probe and raids are underway to nab the suspects.
