Jailed criminal among 4 booked on charges of murder bid, extortion

A day after an alleged ‘extortionist’ and cousin of foreign-based infamous gangster Satnam Singh Satta, Sukhwinder Singh alias Noni, was gunned down while trying to collect extotion, the police have booked him and his unknown accomplices for attempt to murder, extortion and under the Arms Act.

The deceased along with others was booked on the statement of Sakatar Singh, a commission agent and Kheti store owner in Naushehra Pannuan village. They alleged that the accused had taken extortion at the behest of notorious criminal Gopi Nambardar and Mohpreet Singh, alias Moh, currently lodged in jail.

Yesterday also, Noni and his two unknown accomplices had arrived to take the extortion amount. But they denied to give the same which resulted into heated arguments and firing by the accused. In the firing from other side, Noni suffered a gunshot injury and died while fleeing from the spot. The police also recovered a country-made pistol from near the crime scene.

Meanwhile, the family members of the deceased had refused to take the body until the police lodge a case against Sakatar Singh and his brother Gurjant Singh.

Gurpreet Singh, father of the deceased, who is a bus driver, said he had gone to take medicine when he got to know about Noni being shot at by the duo. Noni was their only son. He said his family would not take his body until the police register a murder case against the two. He said his son was not a criminal as being claimed by the police.

As the family refused to accept his body, his postmortem could not be performed by the doctors today.

In the FIR registered, Sakatar Singh alleged that Gopi Nambardar, Mohpreet and Noni used to threaten to kill them and harm their family members while demanding extortion money from them. He said earlier, they had given extortion thrice to them. He said yesterday, Noni along with his two unidentified accomplices came to their shop and made them talk with Gopi Nambardar who again demanded extortion while threatening.

He said as at this time they refused to give money, the accused started a scuffle with them. Noni was armed with a desi katta (country-made pistol) and he fired at them. He said his brother Gurjant retaliated with his licensed pistol in which Noni got injured. The accused tried to flee during which Noni’s pistol fell while he also fell on the ground while running away and died.

SP (D) Ajay Raj Singh said Gopi would soon be brought on production warrant for interrogation in order to identify Noni’s accomplices who fled the scene on a bike.