chandigarh@hindustantumes.com
A 350-page chargesheet has been filed before a local court in connection with the high-profile murder of kabaddi promoter Rana Balachauria. The document details the role of seven accused, the evidence trail and the operational chain that led to the fatal shooting during a kabaddi tournament in Sohana in December last year.
According to the chargesheet, Karan Pathak, identified by police as the primary shooter, was killed in an encounter with law enforcement after the incident, while the second shooter, Aditya Kapoor alias Makhan, remains at large.
The police have named several facilitators accused of providing logistical and operational support to the shooters. They include Tarandeep Singh, a sociology postgraduate accused of coordinating movements; Sukhsherpal Singh alias Akash Uppal, a relative of gangster Amarjit Khabba, who allegedly arranged hideouts in Sunny Enclave and supplied mobile phones; and Davinder alias Tinka, a cab driver who purportedly helped the assailants flee across states. Besides, Mandeep Singh Mona, Gagandeep Singh, Akashdeep, Arshdeep and Jugraj have been accused of conducting recce and providing ground-level inputs.
The chargesheet outlines the evidence collected so far, including statements from 55 witnesses, including spectators present at the venue and technical experts who helped trace digital footprints. Investigators have attached CCTV footage from Sector 79, Mohali, and the Sunny Enclave apartment where the assailants allegedly regrouped. The evidence further includes forensic examination of bullet shells recovered from the crime scene and the weapon recovered from the shooters’ network.
The police have also documented the role of Harpinder Singh alias Middi, believed to be the link between the shooters and foreign handlers. Middi was killed in a police encounter in Lalru shortly after the incident. His call records and chats form a key part of the prosecution’s claim that the killing was coordinated at multiple levels.
All the accused have been booked under Sections 103(1) (murder), 109 (murder bid), 3(5) (common intention), 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) and 345 (property mark) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita,(BNS) along with Sections 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act. The next hearing will of the court is fixed on 4th April.
