Ex-serviceman arrested with assault rifle in Punjab

The rifle was hidden by the ex- serviceman in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir following an encounter with Pakistan-backed militants in 2012 when he was deployed in the 84th Infantry.

The police today arrested an ex- serviceman and his accomplice and seized arms and ammunitions, including an AK-47 assault rifle, in Batala here, an official said today.

The ex-serviceman had another 12 bore rifle which he had given to a gangster in Batala who was recently lodged in the Amritsar jail. (Representative image)

Border range Inspector General of Police (IGP) Surinderpal Singh Parmar said, upon receiving information, the police arrested Gurpreet Singh alias Nikku, a resident of Jaura Singha village, and his accomplice Johan Masih, a resident of Johal Nangal village.

The police seized an AK-47 Chinese rifle, 22 cartridges and one magazine from the ex-serviceman, he said.

Parmar said that the rifle was hidden by the ex- serviceman in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir following an encounter with Pakistan-backed militants in 2012 when he was deployed in the 84th Infantry.

Gurpreet brought the AK-47 rifle after his retirement in 2014 from Doda district, he said.

The official said that the ex-serviceman had another 12 bore rifle which he had given to a gangster in Batala who was recently lodged in the Amritsar jail.

Gurpreet and his accomplice Jahan were involved in a number of robbery cases in Batala and Gurdaspur, he said.