Ludhiana: Police have uncovered sophisticated illegal weapons like Austrian-made Glock and Turkish Zigana pistols following an extortion-linked shooting at a local business.The investigation into the April 14 attack on a Payal grain market shop owned by commission agent Harish Chandar has taken a high-profile turn, with police naming Shaganpreet Singh, the manager of the slain Punjabi singer Shubhdeep Singh “Sidhu Moosewala”, as a key suspect. He remains at large and is wanted in connection with the extortion attempt.Khanna police have seized five illegal firearms, including two semi-automatic Zigana pistols and a Glock and believe gangster Doni Bal to have supplied these to facilitate the crime. Senior superintendent of police (Khanna) Darpan Ahluwalia said the force is tracing the network’s liks to determine how the high-end weaponry was procured and distributed.Cops in Khanna recently arrested two additional suspects: Robin, a waiter from Ludhiana, and Hardeep Singh, a repeat offender also known as Azad ‘Nihang’. Robin was apprehended during a joint operation with the Ludhiana police. A total of nine people have now been arrested in connection with the case. Among them are individuals accused of providing the gunmen with shelter and logistical support.Mohammad Shafiq and Mohammad Rafiq are accused of harbouring the main suspects while Shafiq was out on parole for a murder conviction. Sharif Ali of Ropar district already faces four criminal cases. The logistics team included a cab driver and several aides from the Sahnewal and Khanna regions.Violent HistoriesThe suspects bring a history of violent crime to the investigation. Hardeep Singh is currently facing trial in two cases, including murder, while Robin is wanted for prior extortion and assault. The shooting on Chandar’s shop is being treated as part of a broader extortion racket operating across the Punjab region, fueled by the availability of foreign-made small arms and coordination between local operatives and overseas-based gangsters.
