Ludhiana: In a city where personal rivalries often lead to shootouts, questions are being raised over the ability of the police to keep miscreants in check. The Aug 7 murder of realtor Harjinder Singh was allegedly carried out by men who were wanted by the police in an assault and Arms Act case registered at Tibba police station in May. Had they been apprehended, the murder could possibly have been prevented. Harjinder Singh’s friend, Sandeep, had a rivalry with a group of youngsters. On May 10, Subhash Nagar resident Sandeep Singh accused Ravi, Sunny Malton, Kaka, Bobby alias Raju and Mohit, all residents of Chander Lok Colony, of assaulting him on April 29. Sandeep said he was out with his friends around 11.30pm when the accused intercepted them at Dolphin Chowk and forced them out of their vehicle at gunpoint. He alleged that they threatened and assaulted him before fleeing. Tibba police registered an FIR on May 10 under Sections 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 126(2) (wrongful confinement), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), 191(3) (rioting while armed with deadly weapons) and 190 (every member of an unlawful assembly guilty of an offence committed in pursuit of a common object) of the BNS, along with Sections 25, 27, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act. SHO of Tibba police station, inspector Gagandeep Singh, confirmed that the police had arrested only Kaka alias Amandeep in the case, while the remaining accused are still at large. Ravi, Sunny Malton, Bobby, Mohit and their aides, who were absconding in the previous case, later murdered Harjinder Singh. According to police, Harjinder was trying to broker a compromise between Sandeep and the accused. While both sides had met several times, Kaka’s arrest allegedly aggravated tensions. In another recent case, involving an exchange of gunfire between two rival groups at a traffic signal near a shopping mall on Ludhiana-Ferozepur Road on July 31, the accused are yet to be arrested. Aryan Ghuman of Nanak Nagar and Aryan Dhaliwal of Pritam Nagar sustained bullet injuries in the incident. Police registered FIRs against members of both groups. One group included Aryan Ghuman, Aryan Singh, Nikhil Ballu of Shahi Mohalla and two unidentified associates, while the other included Gursevak Singh Lahoria of Damoria Bridge and Chann Grewal of Tibba Road. Deputy commissioner of police (Investigation) Harpal Singh said, “In the majority of gun crime cases reported in the recent past, the accused have been identified. They flee the city after committing the crime to evade arrest, but police teams are working to track them down and arrest them. In this murder case too, the accused have been identified and raids are being conducted to apprehend them.” City’s Gun Crime Trail May 10: Two bike-borne assailants fired at the house of wholesale medicine trader Risham Kalra in Kitchlu Nagar. The family discovered bullet marks on the wall the next morning. Despite CCTV footage capturing the attackers, the case remains unsolved. June 1: Notorious criminal Manya, recently released on bail, allegedly opened fire at rival Happy on the busy Shingar Cinema Road in broad daylight. No one was injured. Police later arrested the accused. June 24: Four men opened fire at a realtor’s house in Shimlapuri, firing around 12 rounds and vandalising two vehicles parked outside before escaping. Police linked the attack to a rivalry involving the house owner’s son. July 9: A 24-year-old man from Model Colony narrowly escaped a gun attack after his mother held the hand of the accused who fired the shot. Police booked six persons, including Jaskarn, Dalip, Rohit and Raja, for attempt to murder. They are yet to be arrested. July 17: Unidentified assailants fired at the house of a marble trader in South City during the early hours. A bullet pierced the security post at the main gate, but the guard escaped unhurt. Police suspect drunk men fired from a moving car. The accused remain untraced. July 30: A case was filed against nine individuals after a group of drunk youths allegedly fired in the air near Cheema Chowk following a confrontation with slum residents. Police recovered five empty shells and a live cartridge from the spot. Two accused were identified as Aman and Mithu.
