Punjab: Bambiha gang’s aide sustains bullet injury in Faridkot encounter

Punjab Police on Saturday said it had nabbed an absconding operative of foreign-based gangster Gaurav, alias Lucky Patial, and Davinder Bambiha gang after a brief exchange of fire in Faridkot. Manpreet Singh, alias Mani, a native of Talwandi Bhagrian in Moga, was arrested in a joint operation by the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) and the Faridkot police, director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said.

The police also arrested his two accomplices — Jagmeet Singh alias Meeta of Chania in Faridkot and Akashdeep Singh of Mehma in Ferozepur — for providing him shelter and logistic support.

The development came shortly after Punjab Police arrested Mani’s co-accused, Malkit Singh alias Manu, from Moga, after recovering a .32 caliber pistol along with four cartridges on Wednesday. Malkit, along with Mani, executed an attack on his rival in Kapura village in Moga, resulting in the murder of one individual and a woman sustaining a bullet injury to her leg on February 19, DGP Yadav said.

Both arrested persons were also involved in a firing incident that took place at Raja Dhaba in Jagraon on February 26, which was orchestrated by foreign-based gangster Lucky Patial, he added. The DGP said further investigations are underway to establish backward and forward linkages in this case.

AGTF ADGP Promod Ban said that following the arrest of Malkit alias Mannu, AGTF teams gathered clues from his interrogation and zeroed in on his accomplice Mani in Faridkot.

Teams of AGTF, under the supervision of AIG Gurmeet Singh Chauhan and DSP Bikramjit Brar, in a joint operation with Faridkot police, tracked down Manpreet Mani near Dhilwan Road in Faridkot while he was travelling on a motorcycle, he said. He opened fire at the police team in an attempt to evade arrest, prompting the police teams to retaliate.

“During the exchange of fire, Mani sustained a bullet injury to his left leg. He was admitted to the local civil hospital,” said the ADGP, adding that police teams recovered a .30 caliber pistol from his possession.

AIG Gurmeet Chauhan said the arrested accused had a criminal record, with around six cases related to murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping and snatching registered against him.

SSP Pragiya Jain said a preliminary probe revealed that since coming out on bail from Faridkot Jail on January 24, Mani had been operating for Lucky Patial and other handlers of the Davinder Bambiha gang, who had tasked him with carrying out various crimes in Punjab. Further investigation is ongoing to establish backward and forward linkages in this case, she added.