In a major breakthrough, Punjab Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) in a joint operation with SAS Nagar Police apprehended two operatives of Davinder Bambiha Gang and recovered two .32 calibre pistols along with seven cartridges from their possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Wednesday.

Those arrested have been identified as Harinder Singh, a resident of village Mehmadpur in SAS Nagar and Gurjinder Singh, a resident of Varana in SAS Nagar.

DGP Gaurav Yadav said that the arrested accused were handled by USA-based Kulveer Singh alias Lala Benipal, an aide of absconding foreign-based gangster Lucky Patial. Accused Lala Benipal had earlier orchestrated two separate attacks in SAS Nagar, including one on a Financer in September 2023 and other on a rival gang member in December 2023, he added.

The DGP said that preliminary investigations have revealed that they were tasked to carry out a series of crimes in the tricity region. Further investigations are on establish forward and backward linkages in this case, he added.

Sharing operation details, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) SAS Nagar Deepak Pareek said police teams had received reliable inputs that Lala Benipal has tasked his gang members to carry out criminal activities in the tricity. Acting swiftly on the information, joint teams of AGTF and SAS Nagar Police traced the accused persons and successfully arrested them near Focal Point, Mubarakpur, he said.

The SSP said that accused Harinder has a criminal background with cases pertaining to attempt to murder and Arms Act related offences registered against him. Further investigations are ongoing to identify and arrest their other associates, he added.

A case FIR No 354, dated 25/11/2024 has been registered under section 111 of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and sections 25(6)(7) and 27 of the Arms Act at Police Station Dera Bassi in SAS Nagar.