Chandigarh:Punjab Police on Thursday said it has arrested an associate of foreign-based terrorist Lakhbir Singh alias Landa Harike. Director General of Police (DGP), Punjab, Gaurav Yadav said the accused, Sukhchain Singh alias Bhujia, from Matti village in Mansa was arrested and a .32 caliber pistol along with five cartridges were seized from his possession.
The officer said based on a tip-off police teams under the overall supervision of Additional Director General of Police Promod Ban launched an operation and arrested the accused from the Bhikhi area in Mansa.
Sukhchain was wanted in a recent attempt to murder case at Bhikhi. He also is a history sheeter with a number of criminal cases including attempt to murder registered against him, the DGP said. He said preliminary investigation revealed that Sukhchain was planning to target rival gang members.
In another case, police apprehended a shooter of the notorious Bambiha gang and seized two pistols and 10 cartridges from him. He was arrested from Liddharan village under Maksudan police station, officials said. The accused, Aman Kumar alias Golden, hailing from Padraunan village in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, was currently residing in Jalandhar, they said.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Jalandhar Rural, Harkamalpreet Singh Khakh, said following specific intelligence, a special operation was conducted on Wednesday. A police team intercepted the accused near Onkar Cold Store, Liddaran village, where they seized two 30-bore pistols along with 10 live cartridges from his possession, the officer said.
During interrogation, the accused revealed his connection with Harmandar Singh, a Bambiha Gang leader who is currently lodged in Rohini Jail in Delhi, he said. The accused was involved in several serious crimes in the past, police said.
In June 2018, he was booked for sexually assaulting a minor in Jalandhar. His criminal record expanded in May 2022 when he attempted murder and participated in a riot in Kabirpur, Kapurthala, where illegal weapons were also recovered from his possession, they added.