The Amritsar police claimed to have foiled a planned target killing operation with the arrest of two alleged gang-linked suspects following a brief exchange of fire in the Fatahpur area under the Islamabad police station limits on Saturday.
According to police officials, the incident took place during a routine patrolling and search operation led by Sub-Inspector Rakesh Kumar. A police party noticed two suspicious youths riding a motorcycle in the Fatahpur area and signalled them to stop for checking. Instead of complying, the suspects allegedly attempted to flee and opened fire on the police team.
Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said the cops retaliated in self-defence. During the exchange of fire, one of the accused sustained a bullet injury in his leg, while the weapon he was carrying fell to the ground. Both suspects were subsequently overpowered and arrested from the spot. The injured accused was immediately shifted to a hospital for treatment, he added.
The arrested accused were identified as Kulbir Singh, a resident of Dhade Fateh Singh village in Hoshiarpur district, and Jashandeep Singh, alias Maya, a resident of the Patti Chambal area in Amritsar.
During preliminary investigations, the police alleged that the duo was planning to execute a target killing and that timely intervention by the police prevented a possible gang war-related murder. Investigators further disclosed that the accused were allegedly in contact with foreign-based gangster Ankush Bahman and had been assigned the task of eliminating two rival gang members. The police are now probing the wider network and possible links with organised criminal groups operating from abroad.
Police records show that Kulbir Singh has four previous criminal cases registered against him, including cases under the NDPS Act and multiple theft-related offences in Hoshiarpur. Co-accused Jashandeep Singh, alias Maya, is also facing two Arms Act cases linked to illegal weapon recoveries in Amritsar. The police recovered a China-made .30 bore pistol, four live cartridges and two empty shells from the accused.
