Kolkata: Two gangsters were killed while a policeman was injured after an encounter between STF and gangsters broke out in Kolkata's Newtown area on Wednesday. According to the reports, after receiving information from multiple sources, the Special Task Force (STF) and the West Bengal police started a joint search operation at the Spurji housing colony where they were hiding in a flat.
According to the police officials, the gangster fired at the team of the STF after which a gun war was started. Police said at least two criminals were eliminated in the incident and a policeman was also received serious injuries during the operation. The two miscreants who were killed were identified as— Jaipal Bhullar and Yashpreet Jassi— the most wanted criminal in Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh for over 40 cases related to robbery, murder, extortion and kidnapping, among others.
However, details regarding a third gangster are not available yet. According to the police, they were involved in firearms smuggling in this state. They came here to get orders for the supply of firearms worth crores of rupees in the state. After confirming from the multiple links, the police team came to know that the firearms suppliers from Punjab had entered the state.
"We wanted them to surrender but they started firing, so we had to fire back. As a result, both of them died. One of our personnel, Kartick Ghosh, was injured in the firing. He has suffered a bullet injury on his left shoulder and has been admitted to a private hospital," said one of the officers present at the spot.
The development is also connected with a man, Dhrita, who was arrested by the STF from Birbhum district around a month ago. According to the sources, he revealed about several other arms dealer who was associated with him.
What says Punjab DGP
Director-General of Police (DGP) Punjab Dinkar Gupta, while addressing a press conference, said that both the gangsters-turned- drug smugglers were wanted in the killing of two ASIs Bhagwan Singh and Dalwinderjit Singh of Jagraon Police at grain market, Jagraon on May 15, 2021 evening.
Notably, Jaipal had earlier snatched a 9mm Pistol from an ASI Sukhdev Singh of Khanna Police on the evening of May 10, 2021, when he was deployed at a naka on GT road near Doraha.
In this connection, Punjab Police had earlier arrested Darshan Singh and Baljinder Singh alias Babbi from Gwalior on May 28, 2021. The DGP said that Punjab Police launched a massive operation code-named OP-Jack manhunt and for nabbing the absconding drug smugglers, Jaipal Bhullar and Jaspreet Singh and many police teams were dispatched to various states to nab these gangsters with the help of other state police forces.
He said that the Punjab Police arrested today Bharat Kumar, a resident of Sahnewal, Ludhiana near Shambhu Border in Rajpura area and recovered one .30 bore Pistol, along with a Honda Accord vehicle, bearing registration number WB 02R 4500 by the team. Bharat, a close accomplice of Jaipal Bhullar, was providing logistic support to Jaipal in the Gwalior area of MP after Jaipal and Jassi had fled from Punjab.
DGP Dinkar Gupta said that Bharat revealed that both Jaipal and Jassi were holed up in a rented apartment in Kolkata.
“Punjab Police immediately dispatched a special team for Kolkata by flight. In the meanwhile, we also coordinated with Kolkata Police to share pinpointed inputs regarding their current hideout for the arrest of these two most-wanted drug smugglers,” he said.
“I am grateful to West Bengal Police, especially the ADGP & STF Chief of West Bengal, Mr Vineet Goyal, IPS, who acted immediately on inputs provided by the Punjab Police and organised a raid at the Kolkata apartment where Jaipal was holed up along with his associate, Jassi,” said DGP Dinkar Gupta.
