Two wanted extortionists were arrested after an encounter in Jalandhar’s Shahkot area on Monday morning. Both of them were hospitalised after they suffered bullet injuries in the encounter.
The accused, Ajay of Kandola Kalan and Lakhwinder Singh of Donowal village in Jalandhar district, were members of a gang that made extortion calls, police said.
“Acting on a tip-off, the Shahkot police zeroed on the accused, who were wanted in cases of extortion, robbery and attempt to murder. They were intercepted near the railway under-bridge at Kotli Gujaran village. On seeing the police, they opened fire to which we retaliated and both suffered bullet injuries. They were rushed to Nakodar civil hospital for treatment,” Jalandhar rural senior superintendent of police Harvinder Singh Virk said.
He said two illegal weapons and cartridges besides 110 intoxicant capsules were recovered from them.
The SSP said that Lakhwinder Singh was wanted in four cases of extortion, robbery and attempt to murder and Ajay was also booked in three cases. “Both the accused had opened fire on kabaddi player Simrandeep Singh at Chatha village in October last year in a bid to extort ransom from him. In another case, Ajay was involved in making three ransom calls of ₹50 lakh each to traders in Shahkot and Lohian,” he said.
The police registered a case under Section 109 (attempt to murder) of the BNS and other sections of the Arms Act against them after Monday’s encounter.
{{/usCountry}}The police registered a case under Section 109 (attempt to murder) of the BNS and other sections of the Arms Act against them after Monday’s encounter.
{{/usCountry}}Virk said the preliminary investigation showed both accused were operating on the directions of their UK and US-based handlers, Joginder Joga, Navdeep Kahlwan and Jarmanjit Singh. “We have already arrested eight members of the gang being operated from foreign land,” he said.