Two police constables were injured in an encounter with three ‘khalistani terrorists’ who had been involved in the Gurdaspur police station grenade attack in Punjab. The suspects opened fire during the police operation, leading to a heavy exchange of gunfire that critically injured all three terrorists, said UP police officials .
SP Avinash Pandey explained the sequence of events, stating, “In Gurdaspur district, a police station was attacked a few days ago, and based on that information, today, Gurdaspur police informed that three suspects, who had been hiding, were located. This information was shared with the Puranpur police station, and a search operation was launched. The police were informed by the picket at Khamaria Point that three suspects were riding a bike at high speed towards the city of Pilibhit. The teams from Puranpur police station, SOG, and Gurdaspur police immediately pursued them.”
The encounter took place near an under-construction bridge in the Puranpur area, where the suspects were surrounded. SP Pandey further explained, “As the suspects were heading towards an under-construction bridge near the Puranpur area, some vehicles also came in their path. The suspects were surrounded, and when the police confronted them, they opened fire. The police responded with heavy gunfire, injuring all three suspects critically.”
The suspects were initially taken to the Community Health Center (CHC) for treatment, but later succumbed to their injuries at the district hospital. “The three suspects were taken to the CHC for treatment, and later, they were transferred to the district hospital, where they were confirmed dead,” SP Pandey confirmed.
The police also recovered two foreign-made Glock pistols and a stolen motorcycle linked to a theft in Puranpur. “From the suspects, the police recovered two foreign-made Glock pistols and a stolen motorcycle related to a theft in Puranpur,” said SP Pandey.
The constables injured in the encounter were identified as Constable Sumit and Constable Shahnawaz. SP Pandey provided an update on their condition, stating, “Two of our constables were also injured in the encounter. They received medical treatment and were referred to the hospital for further care.”
Meanwhile, Director General of Police, Punjab, Gaurav Yadav, confirmed the ‘breakthrough’ in a post on X, stating, “In a major breakthrough against a #Pak-sponsored Khalistan Zindabad Force(KZF) terror module, a joint operation of UP Police and Punjab Police has led to an encounter with three module members who fired at the police party.”
In a major breakthrough against a #Pak-sponsored Khalistan Zindabad Force(KZF) terror module, a joint operation of UP Police and Punjab Police has led to an encounter with three module members who fired at the police party.
This terror module is involved in grenade attacks at…
— DGP Punjab Police (@DGPPunjabPolice) December 23, 2024
Meanwhile, on December 22, two gangsters were arrested, and four magazines and 14 cartridges were recovered as Punjab Police’s Counter Intelligence team busted a major gangster module in Pathankot. The Punjab DGP confirmed the arrests on Saturday.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Sunil Kumar alias Ashu, a resident of Rauwal in Batala, and Dilpreet Singh alias Dil, a resident of Raimal in Batala.
Accused Sunil alias Ashu has a criminal history, including a case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. He was released on bail from Gurdaspur Jail on February 27, 2024, according to a release.
Yadav said that preliminary investigations revealed that the accused had received the consignment of weapons from the Ajnala area of Amritsar following instructions from their handlers and were directed to deliver it to an unknown party. Further investigations are underway to uncover the source of the weapons and identify more suspects involved in the network.
Sharing details of the operation, AIG CI Pathankot, Sukhminder Singh Mann, said that secret information was received indicating that accused Sunil Kumar and Dilpreet Singh were in contact with unknown gangsters and had recently received a consignment of arms and ammunition. Based on this information, the CI Pathankot team laid a trap and arrested both accused individuals after recovering the arms and ammunition from their possession.
He further stated that efforts are underway to track previous consignments retrieved and delivered by the accused. In this regard, an FIR (No. 71 dated 21.12.2024) has been registered under Section 25 of the Arms Act and Section 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Police Station State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) Amritsar. The arrested accused will be produced in court to obtain police remand, the statement added
