Mastermind behind NC leader’s murder, Gandhi Nagar dacoity kingpin arrested

STATE TIMES NEWS

Jammu: An alleged mastermind behind the murder of a former National Conference legislator in Delhi last year, was arrested after a brief encounter in Marble market area in Jammu.
The accused Harpreet Singh alias Amit Rana’s arrest followed investigation into a recent dacoity by a group of ten armed criminals wearing police uniforms at the house of a businessman Rakesh Agarwal in posh Gandhi Nagar locality, Additional Director General of Police, Jammu zone, Mukesh Singh told reporters while addressing press conference in Jammu on Tuesday
Giving details, ADGP Mukesh Singh said that on December 7, 2022, a dacoity took place in the house of Rakesh Aggarwal, resident of Gandhi Nagar, where ten masked men wearing police uniform, of which five had come with weapons and reportedly looted Rs 15 lakh at the gun point and had kept the entire family and domestic helpers hostage for over five hours.
FIR 310/22 under section 395, 452,120-B IPC and 3/25 IAA was registered at Police Station Gandhi Nagar and investigation was set in motion.
Working on various leads and technical intelligence gathered during investigation, police team was able to identify a locality in Shastri Nagar from where the dacoits started on foot for the commission of the crime.
Some more evidences were gathered and one person namely Harjinder Singh, son of Jasvir Singh resident of Badiana, Jallandhar Punjab was arrested yesterday. It transpired during the investigation that the main conspirator is Amit Rana, a resident of Delhi. While following Amit Rana, it was gathered that he was duping people in Jammu by various means. Finally, a lead was gathered regarding his movement in Marble Market Jammu. To arrest the accused, different teams were constituted by SSP Jammu, Chandan Kohli and at Marble Market during a chase, the accused Amit Rana fired upon police party but he was overpowered and finally nabbed. A case under relevant sections has been registered in police station Channi Himmat.
During his questioning, he admitted having hatched a conspiracy at the instance of few persons to barge into the house of Rakesh Aggarwal and from there to call Nagar Singh so that he could be eliminated.
For this purpose, he had tied up with one criminal namely Manjeet Singh alias Fouji, resident of Dasua who managed a gang of nine persons so as to give effect to this incident, but they could not get Nagar Singh to this house. They money approximately Rs 10 lakh and left the house at around 12 noon.
During sustained questioning of the conspirator, Police team got apprehensive regarding his name, address and other particulars. His address mentioned in his Aadhar card was checked and it was found to be false proving that he was using a forged Aadhar card. Further questioning led to his confession that he is duping his identity and his actual name is Harpreet Singh Khalsa, a resident of Digiana Jammu. After this, Police team got more apprehensive and finally it came to fore that he is the main accused in Tarlochan Singh’s murder case of 2021 in which FIR was registered in Delhi. Delhi Police had issued notice, so as to make his arrest.
Five persons namely Harpreet Singh alias Amit Rana, resident of Paramjeet Singh, resident of C-35 Hanuman Road Connaught Place New Delhi at present 684 Digiana Jammu, Manjeet Singh, son of Surinder Singh, resident of Ralhan Tehsil Dasuya District Hoshiarpur Punjab, Harjinder Singh, son of Jasvir Singh, resident of Badayana, Jalandhar, Adampur, Punjab, Raja Singh alias Raja, son of Gurdev Singh, resident of Panwah Tehsil Dasuya District Hoshiarpur, Punjab and Pinto Singh, son of Krishan Lal, resident of Abohar Punjab have been arrested so far in the case.
Recoveries made from their possession include cash amounting to around Rs five lakhs, two pistols, live pistol cartridges, six police jersey, ten police caps, mobile phones recovered etc.
ADGP Mukesh Singh accompanied by DIG Vivek Gupta appreciated the efforts of entire team of Jammu Police led by Chandan Kohli, SSP Jammu including Mamta Sharma, SP South Jammu, Sachit Sharma SDPO South Jammu, Inspector Pankaj Sharma SHO Gandhi Nagar and others who were actively working in the investigations.
Harpreet Singh alias Amit Rana was wanted in connection with the killing of T S Wazir. ADGP Mukesh Singh said four accomplices of Rana were also arrested in a series of raids by police at different places in Punjab and Delhi and two pistols, Rs 5 lakh in cash and the police uniforms used by them were seized.
Initial investigation suggested that the criminals, nine of whom are residents of Punjab, had come to Gandhi Nagar, Jammu to kill businessman Choudhary Nagar Singh but later decamped with cash between Rs 10 to 15 lakh after they failed in their assassination plan, the ADGP said. Wazir (67), a former member of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council (MLC), was found dead with a gunshot wound at a flat in west Delhi’s Moti Nagar in September last year. Two accused were arrested by the Delhi Police, while Harpreet Singh was absconding.