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Attack on BJP leader in Amritsar: 2 main accused held, shooter injured in encounter
Two main accused have been arrested in the case of the shooting of a BJP leader in Jandiala Guru, India. The shooter was arrested after a chase and exchange of fire with the police. The accused were allegedly sent by another person involved in drug smuggling.
The Amritsar-rural police on Wednesday arrested two main accused involved in the case in which Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) SC morcha state general secretary Balwinder Gill was shot at in Jandiala Guru on April 17 this year.
The arrested accused have been identified as Mandeep Singh alias Budh and Arshdeep Singh alias Mas of Taragarh Talawan village in Amritsar, police said.
Police said Arshdeep, who had opened fire at the BJP leader, was arrested after a long chase which ended in an encounter. During the encounter, Arshdeep fired at the police party, and the bullet hit the government vehicle. In retaliatory firing, Arshdeep received a bullet injury to his leg.
On April 17, an unidentified man had barged into Balwinder Gill’s home at night and opened fire from his .32 bore pistol. The shot hit Gill’s jaw, and he was admitted to a private hospital in Amritsar. The accused fled from the spot along with his accomplice, who was already waiting outside Gill’s house on a motorcycle.
During the investigation, the police had arrested one Jagjit Singh alias Shankar, on May 16. Shankar, according to police was the one who was accompanying the shooter.
The police had identified the shooter as Arsdeep Singh. Police had also found that Arshdeep and Jagjit were sent by Mandeep Singh to kill the BJP leader over a monetary dispute.
Mandeep is also involved in the drug smuggling business and is facing seven criminal cases, including an attempt to murder.
Senior superintendent of police (SSP-rural), Amritsar, Satinder Singh said Mandeep was arrested by our team on Wednesday after a tip-off. “Mandeep disclosed that the shooter Arshdeep can be found in the Jandiala Guru area. The Jandiala police were alerted and a barricading was installed to nab Arshdeep. Seeing the barricading, Arshdeep opened fire at the police party and fled. An alert was sounded in the entire district, and more teams were called to nab Arshdeep, who was on a motorcycle. After a long chase, he was arrested near a canal. Before his arrest, he opened fire at the police party, and the bullet hit the vehicle of the police party. The police party retaliated, and Arshdeep was injured,” he said.
The SSP said police have recovered a .30 bore pistol along with its nine rounds from Arshdeep. A case under attempt to murder and under the Arms Act has already been registered against the accused at Jandiala police station.
