Ludhiana shootout: Day on, police arrest accused’s mother for drug peddling

Condition of 75-year-old passerby who had received bullet injuries in the incident is said to stable

A day after a 75-year-old passerby suffered bullet injuries in a clash between two groups in Preet Nagar of Shimlapuri, police arrested the mother of one of the accused in a drug peddling case on Wednesday.

Police investigating the crime scene in Shimlapuri in Ludhiana on Tuesday night. (HT PHOTO)

According to Shimlapuri station house officer Balkar Singh, eight persons have been booked under Section 307 (attempt to murder), 506 (criminal intimidation), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly) of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 25/54/59 of the Arms Act. Four of the assailants have been identified as Gurpreet Singh, Gagandeep Singh, Jagga and Varinder. The case has been registered on the complaint of Chanpreet Singh.

Additional deputy commissioner of police-II Jaskaran Singh Teja said the mother of one of the accused has been apprehended in connection with a drug peddling case. Police also found that the weapon used in the crime was not registered and was illegally procured.

“Raids are on to nab the accused. Once they are nabbed, we will find out where they sourced the illegal weapon from,” said ADCP-II Teja.

Meanwhile, a day after the incident, residents of Preet Nagar area are still in shock.

Victim, Surinder Singh, 75, a retired irrigation department employee, who had received a bullet injury on his left arm, is recuperating at Christian Medical College and Hospital (CMC&H). His condition is said to be stable.

Surinder’s son Sukhdev Singh said his father had gone out to get ice-cream for his mother, who had her tooth extracted on Tuesday. “My father had stepped out around 7.30pm to bring ice cream for my mother. When he was about to pay the ice-cream vendor, he saw a youth running and two youngsters chasing him. One of the assailants opened fire and the bullet hit my father,” said Sukhdev.

“My father fell on the road after being hit by the bullet. He was first rushed to the civil hospital, from where he was referred to CMC&H where he was operated upon. The bullet extracted from his shoulder has been handed over to the police,” he added.