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Punjab: Nakodar cloth trader’s gunman succumbs to bullet injuries
Punjab Police constable Mandeep Singh, who was posted as a gunman with the Nakodar cloth trader and was shot at by assailants on Wednesday, succumbed to bullet injuries in Jalandhar on Thursday morning.
Punjab Police constable Mandeep Singh, who was posted as a gunman with the Nakodar cloth trader and was shot at by assailants on Wednesday, succumbed to bullet injuries in Jalandhar on Thursday morning. Meanwhile, Jalandhar police failed to establish the identity of the shooters involved in the crime.
Director general of police, Punjab, Gaurav Yadav tweeted, “Salute to martyr constable Mandeep Singh who has laid down his life in the line of duty. Punjab Police will make the perpetrators pay and look after the martyr’s family.” Chief minister Bhagwant Mann has announced ₹2 crore ex-gratia and insurance payment. Jalandhar range inspector general of police Gursharan Singh Sandhu said, “We have got vital clues in the probe and investigation is on.”
Mandeep was standing outside the car along with cloth trader Bhupinder Singh, alias Timmi Chawla, 29, when four motorcycle-borne unidentified assailants opened fire on them at the main market in Nakodar city of Jalandhar district on Wednesday evening.
A senior police officer confirmed that Mandeep retaliated with his pistol and even told his colleagues when he was conscious that one shooter also got injured.
Baldev Singh, father in law of Mandeep, informed that Mandeep joined Punjab police in the year 2013 and is survived by his parents, wife and a minor son. The postmortem of Mandeep Singh, will be conducted on Friday. Bhupinder is the third police protectee to have been shot dead in a month in Punjab. While Shiv Sena leader Sudhir Suri was killed in Amritsar on November 4, Sirsa dera follower and Bargari sacrilege accused Pardeep Singh Kataria was shot dead in Faridkot on November 10. Bhupinder’s father Harminder Singh told police that he was about to close his shop when the assailants fired at his son. Bhupinder had been provided security after he received an extortion call from Rinda. A case was registered on his complaint at the Nakodar city police on November 3.
Cloth trader cremated, Nakodar remains closed
All markets of the Nakodar city remained closed in the protest against Bhupinder Singh’s murder, who was cremated on Thursday. Some locals also raised slogans against the Nakodar MLA, Inderjit Kaur Mann on the law and order situation.
Police probing Facebook post
Jalandhar rural police are also probing a post on Facebook account in the name of gangster Sampat Nehra, where it has been claimed that gangster Sampat Nehra has executed the killing of Bhupinder Singh. It mentioned that they took responsibility of Bhupinder Singh’s murder , adding that the deceased had a perception of being safe under police protection. The Facebook post also said that everyone who got threat calls for extortion from the gang, has to pay the extortion money. It said Bhupinder’s murder was a warning for many people. It said the gang had plans to assassinate two to three more persons soon.
Extortion call from gangster Rinda
Bhupinder Singh, who had police protection, was shot dead by the assailants a month after receiving an extortion call of ₹30 lakh, allegedly by gangster Harvinder Singh Rinda. A Facebook page of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) later claimed that Bhupinder was a party worker.
Shopkeeper shot at, injured in Phagwara
A shopkeeper was shot at in Panchhat on Thursday here over an old enmity, police said. The injured was identified as Satpal, who runs a wood shop in the village, said Phagwara deputy superintendent of police, Jaspreet Singh. He sustained a bullet injury in his right hand, the DSP said. Gopal and Sahil of the same village were allegedly involved in the incident and have been arrested, he said. They used a country-made pistol to fire at Satpal, said police adding that the weapon and three cartridges have been recovered from them. Police attributed the incident to old enmity. The duo, who had come on a motorcycle, rang up Satpal to his stall and asked him to withdraw a court case that was going on in connection with an old dispute, said the DSP. The heated exchanges between the parties led to the firing, he said. Satpal was first hospitalised at Panchhat but was later referred to Phagwara Civil hospital, police said. The accused had been booked under Sections 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code and the relevant Sections of the Arms Act, police added.
Congress slams AAP over law and order situation
Chandigarh Punjab Congress on Thursday blasted the Aam Aadmi Party government in the state for its failure to protect the life and property of people. Reacting to the killing of a cloth merchant and his security guard in Nakodar, PPCC president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said there is an atmosphere of fear prevailing in Punjab and people are feeling unsafe and insecure. “I hope the AAP leadership will now get down to serious business of governance after being relieved from Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh”, he remarked, while taking a dig at the party for wasting time and resources in these two states.
