DW BUREAU / Chandigarh

The Punjab Police Sunday arrested two gangsters, who were allegedly involved in two firing incidents, after a brief encounter near Rajpura in Patiala district. The firing incidents took place on Saturday night -- one at Rajpura-Patiala toll plaza and the other at a liquor vend in Rajpura, officials said.

The accused, identified as Deepak and Ramandeep Singh, were coming from Mohali when a police party intercepted them, but in an attempt to evade arrest, they opened fire at the police party, they said, adding one of the gangsters was injured in cross-firing.

"Punjab Police arrests Deepak & Ramandeep Singh after a brief encounter and solved two incidents within 12 hours," Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav posted on X.

"Two gangsters have been apprehended from #Banur, Rajpura by Patiala Police, they were involved in the two firings incidents yesterday late night at Rajpura-Patiala toll plaza & a liquor vend at Rajpura," he said.

The DGP said one revolver and one pistol have been seized from them. "The accused have criminal history." Meanwhile, police said that at the toll plaza on Rajpura-Patiala road, the two accused had entered into a fight with the toll employees and later fled after opening fire. After an hour, another firing incident was reported at a liquor vend at Rajpura, police said.

At the liquor vend, an employee was injured when the duo allegedly opened fire, police said.

After the two back-to-back incidents late last night, police constituted teams under Deputy Superintendent of Police, Rajpura, to nab them.

Police said CCTV footages from the places of crimes were scanned and they successfully identified Deepak, a history sheeter. After receiving inputs about their movement near Banur, police intercepted the two accused and later arrested them.

Deepak hails from Jalandhar while Ramandeep is from Bathinda, police said.

Police teams have recovered one .22 calibre revolver and one .32 calibre pistol along with 13 live cartridges from their possession, and also impounded a car used in the crime, the officials said.

Police said preliminary investigation has revealed that the duo were also involved in a gang rivalry shootout that took place at Shahkot in Jalandhar

district on July 8.
(editor@dailyworld.in)