Our CorrespondentAbohar, January 30
Two undertrials, including a dismissed constable of Punjab Police, were killed when their accomplices made an unsuccessful attempt to get them freed yesterday, according to the police control room at Sriganganagar, 40 km from here.
According to information, Joginder Singh Sukha, resident of Hoshiarpur, and Sonu, alias Surjit, resident of Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, were nabbed last year when they robbed a rural branch of Punjab National Bank at Parlika village, near Abohar, in the neighboring area of Rajasthan.
They had shot the branch manager before fleeing on a motor cycle. Both were, however, nabbed as the two-wheeler used by them slipped in a muddy street in the village.
Sukha was wanted in a dozen of criminal cases in Punjab and had been declared a proclaimed offender (PO) after his dismissal from the service.
He had reportedly joined a gang believed to have been involved in robbing more than Rs 2 crore in different cases in Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal.
Police sources said Sonu and Sukha were being taken in a police vehicle last evening for their production in a court at Dhaulpur.
On the way, a vehicle overtook their vehicle and intercepted it near Anoopshehar on the Sadulpur road.
The miscreants allegedly opened fire on the police vehicle. The policemen returned the fire after taking positions by the roadside.
During the gunbattle, that lasted half an hour, Sonu and Sukha tried to escape and were gunned down by the police. Their accomplices however escaped.
The police believed to have injured at least one of the men.
SP Vaneeta Thakur was supervising the combing operation in the area, official sources added.
