Tasked with targeted killings, 2 sons of Punjab cops held by SSOC, Mohali

Had sustained bullet injury in an encounter on March 10; arrested on Friday after hospital discharge; were operating at behest of foreign-based handler, says SSOC, Mohali

The four gangsters nabbed by the State Special Operation Cell (SSOC), in Zirakpur on March 10, following a dramatic chase and encounter, were tasked with targeted killings in Gurdaspur, police investigation has revealed.

The accused were presented in court on Saturday and sent to four-day police custody. (HT PHOTO)

Among them were two sons of Punjab Police cops, who had reached Zirakpur to collect arms and ammunition. The duo, Harmandeep Singh and Manish of Batala, were also injured by a single bullet fired by a sub-inspector of SSOC, and remained admitted in a private hospital in Zirakpur ever since. SSOC finally secured their custody on Friday.

The other two were weapon suppliers, identified as Rakesh, a history-sheeter, and Manpreet, alias Nandu, of Sangrur.

The arrested men were working at the behest of a history-sheeter, who fled abroad on a fake passport after getting bail in a criminal case from a Punjab court, said sources, without naming the gang’s handler.

Eight pistols seized

The encounter had also led to the recovery of eight .32-bore pistols and 10 live cartridges.

On March 10, acting on secret information, SSOC, Mohali, had laid a check post on the Zirakpur-Patiala highway to nab the gang members.

As the police team signalled a car to stop, Manish, son of a serving Punjab cop, who was behind the steering wheel, tried to mow down a sub-inspector, prompting him to open fire.

As the cop fired a shot, the bullet initially grazed Manish’s arm and then pierced into the stomach of Harmandeep, who is the son of a retired Punjab cop.

While SSOC managed to nab two out of the total three suppliers, who had reached here from Sangrur in a bus, Manish managed to dodge them and escaped towards Ambala road.

He later got admitted in a private hospital, following which doctors informed the police.

According to police sources, SSOC could get formal custody of Harmandeep and Manish on Friday only, as earlier doctors repeatedly declared them unfit for discharge.

“Even when both the accused were fit to be discharged, doctors were not letting us take them into custody, as they are sons of Punjab cops. We finally made their formal arrest on Friday and produced them before a local court on Saturday. They were sent to four-day police custody,” an officer said.

A senior officer said another supplier Karanjot, who managed to escape from the spot, was in direct contact with his foreign-based supplier.

“We recovered eight pistols from the gang, but there is a possibility that they would have supplied more weapons earlier too. The suppliers brought the weapons from Madhya Pradesh, and Harmandeep and Manish were assigned to take these to Gurdaspur for targeted killings,” an investigator said.

All accused have been booked under the Arms Act and under Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).