Three robbery accused arrested after encounter near Garhshankar, one injured

The police said the accused were wanted in a robbery at a money changer’s shop in Mahilpur and another robbery case in the Hoshiarpur Sadar police station area. Acting on specific intelligence inputs, a police team led by DSP Daljeet Singh Khakh spotted three accused riding a motorcycle without a registration number. When signalled to stop, the accused allegedly opened fire at the police party.

A weapon lying at the encounter spot in the forest area of Rampur Bildon village near Garhshankar.The police retaliated after issuing warnings and firing into the air. During the exchange of fire, a bullet hit a police vehicle, while another struck bulletproof jacket of a policeman, preventing injury.

In the retaliatory fire by the police, Onkar Singh, alias Gora, sustained a bullet injury on his leg. He was taken to the Civil Hospital for treatment. The remaining two accused, Ram Asra, alias Shammi, and Arman, alias Manga, residents of Shahbazpur village under the Rahon police station in Nawanshahr district, were arrested on the spot.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Sandeep Malik visited the encounter site and reviewed operation. He said in the Mahilpur incident, four motorcycle-borne robbers had looted approximately Rs 4 lakh from a money changer’s shop. One accused, Dilabar Singh, alias Jora, had already been arrested earlier in the case.

The police claimed that during preliminary interrogation, the arrested accused also confessed to a robbery at gunpoint in the Hoshiarpur Sadar area, in which Rs 15,000 was looted from a shop.

The police recovered two country-made pistols, one desi pistol, four live cartridges, two empty shells and an unregistered motorcycle from possession of the accused. Further investigation is in progress in this connection.

Photo caption: SSP Sandeep Malik inspecting the encounter site; (and right) a weapon lying at the spot in the forest area of Rampur Bildon village near Garhshankar.