Ahmedabad, Aug 25 (IANS) The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) has arrested a man wanted by Punjab Police in connection with a firing case in Batala, after tracking him down to a hotel in Palanpur, officials said on Tuesday.

The accused, identified as Sukhpinder Singh alias Sukhi Singh, a native of Loh Chap village in Batala taluka of Gurdaspur district in Punjab, was wanted in a case registered at Sekhwan Police Station in Batala.

Police registered the case under Sections 109, 324(4) and 3(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and Sections 25 and 27 of the Arms Act.

According to the Gujarat ATS, Superintendent of Police (SP) K. Siddharth received information that Singh was in the Palanpur area.

The information was shared with senior officers, following which a team was formed under Siddharth’s supervision and headed by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) Harsh Upadhyay.

After verifying the information, the team searched Hotel Sundara in Palanpur on the evening of August 22, where they found Singh. Police subsequently brought him to the Gujarat ATS office in Ahmedabad for questioning.

During preliminary questioning, Police Sub-Inspector M.L. Solanki learnt that Singh is associated with the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria gang. The ATS said Singh admitted to opening fire on July 20, near the shelter of complainant Mehakdeepsinh, along with his associates Sahibdeep Singh, Gagandeep Singh and Vikramjit Singh alias Vicky.

The ATS said Singh told investigators that after the firing, he travelled with Vikramjit Singh to the latter’s paternal aunt Harmeet Kaur’s house in Thikriwal village of Qadian taluka.

“There, he handed over his licensed .30-06 rifle to his cousin Manjot Singh. He then stayed at a hotel near Kharar for around seven to eight days before travelling through Delhi, Hyderabad and Nanded in Maharashtra and eventually reaching Palanpur,” officials said.

Police records cited by the ATS show that Singh has been named in several criminal cases.

These include cases registered at Dhariwal Police Station in 2018 under provisions including attempt to murder, criminal intimidation, criminal conspiracy and the Arms Act; at Civil Lines Batala Police Station in 2019 under attempt to murder, assault, criminal intimidation and the Arms Act; and at Amirgadh Police Station in Gujarat’s Banaskantha district in 2019 under Section 304 of the IPC and provisions of the Arms Act.

He was also booked at Ranger Nangal Police Station in 2021 under provisions including attempt to murder and rioting, along with the Arms Act.

The Special State Operations Cell (SSOC), Punjab, registered a case against him in 2023 under provisions including attempt to murder, abetment and criminal conspiracy, as well as the Arms Act and the NDPS Act.

Additionally, Tanda Police Station registered a case under Section 109 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and Section 25 of the Arms Act.

Singh also spent nine months in jail in Dubai in 2021 in connection with a drugs/ICE-related case. The Gujarat ATS has informed the Punjab Police about Singh’s detention.

Proceedings are underway to hand him over to the Punjab Police for further legal action in connection with the Batala firing case.

–IANS

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