ThePathankot Police have arrested three smugglers after they tried to escape afteropening fire at a police team deployed at Special Police Checking nearJhakholahri here. The Police have also recovered 265 grams of Heroin, one USAmade illicit 7.62 mm pistol and five cartridges (two live) besides impoundingtheir Hyundai i20 Car.
Thearrested persons have been identified as Karandeep Singh alias Karan, MandeepSingh alias Happy and Hardeep Singh alias Saba, all residents of village MehmaChak in district Gurdaspur.
Theincident took place at around 7.40 pm on Saturday evening, when the PoliceParty led by Incharge CIA Staff Navdeep Singh had laid a trap on criminals andanti-social elements near Jhakholahri in Pathankot.
SeniorSuperintendent of Police (SSP) Pathankot Gulneet Singh Khurana said that whilechecking vehicles, the Police team stopped an i20 Car without a number platecoming from Amritsar side. “There were three persons sitting in the car and theperson sitting on the passenger seat fired two bullets straight at the policeparty and tried to escape, however, they were bravely intercepted by the policeteam,” he said.
TheSSP said that the Police team had a narrow escape and is safe, while the 3criminals have been taken into custody and further investigations are on.
SSPGulneet Singh said that the preliminary investigations revealed that Karandeepis a history-sheeter and close has links with the smugglers across the InternationalBorder in Pakistan.
Karandeephas been facing at least 12 criminal cases, including Murder and Attempt toMurder, under Arms Act and NDPS Act at various Police stations of Amritsar andGurdaspur districts and he is also wanted in FIR no. 98, dated 20.08.20 undersection 21 of the NDPS Act Police Station Special Task Force, SAS Nagar inwhich 4 kg 210 grams heroin was recovered by STF Amritsar. While, anotheraccused Mandeep Singh has been facing about six criminal cases including ofMurder and attempt to Murder and under the Arms Act as well.
Meanwhile,the case has been registered under sections 307 (attempt to murder), 186(Whoever voluntarily obstructs any public servant in the discharge of hispublic functions), 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant fromdischarge of his duty), 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance ofcommon intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), section 25 of the Arms Actand sections 21-29-61-85 of the NDPS Act at Police Station Sadar Pathankot.