Two associates of Jaggu Bhagwanpuria gang held in Punjab's Batala

Chandigarh, Nov 13 (PTI) Punjab Police on Thursday arrested two associates of the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria gang in Batala, a top police officer said.

Police recovered two foreign-made pistols along with live cartridges from their possession, said Director Genera of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav in a statement here Those arrested have been identified as Vijay Masih, a resident of Satkoha in Batala and Malkit Singh, a resident of Naharpur Khaddar in Batala.

Investigation revealed that both the accused were tasked by the foreign-based gangster Amrit Dalaam of Jaggu Bhagwanpuria gang to carry out target killings.

Both the accused have a criminal background, he said.

The DGP said Malkit was also involved in a firing incident with rival gang members at Kalanaur Bus Stand in August and had been absconding since.

Further investigation is underway to uncover the entire network and its backward and forward linkages, he said.

Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Sandeep Goel said during the operation, the accused, Malkit Singh, attempted to flee police custody and opened fire at the police team.

He was overpowered after a brief exchange of fire, he said, adding that the accused has sustained a bullet injury and is undergoing treatment at a local hospital.

Senior Superintendent of Police, Batala, Suhail Qasim Mir said that acting on reliable inputs, police apprehended Vijay Masih and recovered a foreign-made .30 bore pistol along with three live cartridges from his possession.

Based on disclosures made by Masih, the police also apprehended his associate Malkit Singh, who is a dangerous criminal closely linked with gangster Amrit Dalam and the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria network, he said. PTI CHS HIG HIG