Ludhiana: A deadly feud involving gangsters, jailhouse plotting, and witness intimidation has taken a darker turn, as city police link two recent shooting incidents — in Jawahar Nagar and Sham Nagar — to the same group of accused.Police brought gangster Sukhwinder Singh Moni from Ludhiana Jail and Darpan from Patiala Jail for questioning in connection with the July 15 firing at the house of Kanwaljit Kumar, a key witness in a murder trial. Investigators now suspect that the same group was behind a second incident — the July 20 shooting in Sham Nagar, where Manav, nephew of the murdered man Harjinder Singh Jindi, shot a man named Rohit fatally, allegedly in self-defence.Police claim that Darpan, from behind bars, orchestrated the Jawahar Nagar firing to intimidate Kanwaljit ahead of his court testimony scheduled for July 24. Darpan allegedly contacted Aman Sharma, an associate from Jawahar Nagar, and asked him to recruit shooters to target Kanwaljit’s residence. Aman is said to have hired a group of young men, including a minor, and supplied them with pistols. A gunshot was fired at Kanwaljit’s house on July 15, but no one was injured.Five days later, Manav had an altercation in Sham Nagar with three men believed to be part of the same group. Police say Rohit, one of the attackers, was carrying an illegal firearm. Manav, who holds a valid arms license, shot Rohit dead at point-blank range, allegedly in response to an immediate threat. Manav and his family claim the assault was another attempt to prevent Kanwaljit from testifying in court, directed by Moni and Darpan.Despite the claim of self-defence, Manav has been charged with murder, and police are continuing their investigation. “The initial probe suggests both the Jawahar Nagar and Sham Nagar incidents are linked. The same accused appear to be behind both,” said ADCP-III Kanwalpreet Singh, confirming that further interrogation of the jail inmates was in progerss.ADCP (investigation) Amandeep Singh Brar added that the weapons used in the first incident had been either arranged by Aman Sharma or those had belonged to him. Police are searching for Aman and other absconded suspects. Authorities have also announced that security will be heightened at the court complex during Kanwaljit’s upcoming testimony.MSID:: 122861724 413 |
