Daijiworld Media Network - Chandigarh

Chandigarh, Sep 13: A joint team of the Punjab Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) and Ludhiana Commissionerate Police on Sunday foiled an alleged shooting bid and killed two armed operatives of the Doni Bal gang in an encounter near Atam Park in Ludhiana.

Ludhiana Commissioner of Police Swapan Sharma identified the deceased as Karanjot Singh alias Nona and Sandeep Singh, both residents of Amritsar.

Police recovered three sophisticated automatic pistols and around 50 cartridges from their possession.

According to Sharma, acting on specific intelligence inputs about a planned attack, joint police teams set up a checkpoint at the Under Bridge near Atam Park and intercepted two suspects travelling on a black motorcycle without a registration number.

When signalled to stop, the suspects allegedly attempted to flee and opened fire at the police personnel.

“During the chase, the assailants continuously fired multiple shots at the joint police party, and two bullets hit the official police vehicle. Exercising retaliatory fire in self-defence, the police team neutralised both armed attackers on the spot,” Sharma said.

Attack allegedly planned at blood donation camp

Preliminary investigation indicated that the two men were allegedly in direct contact with gangsters Doni Bal and Shaganpreet Singh and had been tasked with carrying out a mass shooting at a blood donation camp organised at Marryland Palace on Dugri Road in Ludhiana on Sunday, Sharma said.

Police are now tracing their alleged accomplices and efforts are underway to apprehend them, he added.

Karanjot Singh was a history-sheeter and was facing two previous criminal cases registered under the Arms Act, as well as provisions relating to robbery and the NDPS Act.

Sandeep Singh was facing one criminal case, according to the Commissioner of Police.

A case has been registered in Ludhiana under Sections 109, 221, 132, 62 and 111 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 25 of the Arms Act.