Pinki Saini/Dera Bassi/Chandigarh
In a major breakthrough in the sensational daylight murder of property dealer Charanpreet Singh alias Chinni in the posh Sector-9 area, police have arrested two key accused within 24 hours of the crime. The swift joint operation by Chandigarh Police, Punjab Police, and Haryana Police comes amid rising questions over the city’s law and order situation.
The accused fled towards Haryana via Mohali after committing the crime. Acting on location inputs, a joint team launched an operation in Choushala village in Kaithal district. During the raid, the accused opened fire at the Police team, prompting retaliatory action. Both suspects were injured in the exchange and were subsequently arrested and admitted to a hospital.
Punjab DGP stated that a joint team of the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF), Punjab, and Haryana STF (Karnal Unit) apprehended two close associates of fugitive gangster Lucky Patial, who is linked to the Bambiha gang. The arrested accused have been identified as Rajan alias Piyush Pehlwan of Ferozepore and Pritam Shah haila from NawanShahr.
Police recovered three illegal firearms from the accused, including .30 caliber and .32 caliber pistols. Investigation further revealed that the main accused, Rajan, a resident of Ferozepur, had recently entered India illegally via Nepal after returning from Malaysia. The second accused, Pritam Shah, is a resident of Nawanshahr. Both have multiple criminal cases registered against them.
Preliminary investigations reveal that Rajan alias Piyush Pehlwan was also wanted in the high-profile murder case of Yadavinder Singh, driver of Jeevanjot Singh alias Jugnu.
Police recovered three illegal firearms from the accused, including .30 caliber and .32 caliber pistols. Investigation further revealed that the main accused, Rajan, a resident of Ferozepur, had recently entered India illegally via Nepal after returning from Malaysia. The second accused, Pritam Shah, is a resident of Nawanshahr. Both have multiple criminal cases registered against them.
On Wednesday, the attackers targeted Charanpreet Singh while he was sitting in his car in Sector-9. The assailants fired multiple rounds, killing him on the spot, and fled the scene on a motorcycle.
CCTV footage of the incident has also surfaced, showing the assailants firing openly in broad daylight, raising serious concerns over public safety in the city.
Punjab Police claims that the AGTF has busted the entire gang module involved in the murder and managed to arrest the accused in within 24 hours. Further investigation is underway to uncover the conspiracy, funding sources, and wider gang network behind the killing.
Efforts are ongoing to trace and arrest other absconding accused, and the case is being probed from the angle of organized crime.