Amritsar NRI shooting case: Two suspects attack police team, hurt in retaliatory fire

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, August 26

The police faced a peculiar situation when two shooters involved in the NRI shooting case opened fire on cops when they were being taken to recover the weapons near Vallah canal today evening.

In this encounter, the police too opened fire, leaving the shooters Sukhwinder of Dhilwan in Kapurthala and Gurkirat Singh of Butra village in Jalandhar injured. They suffered bullet injuries on the leg and were admitted in the hospital.

Earlier in the day, Amritsar city police in a joint operation with Hoshiarpur police had arrested three persons, including two shooters, from an inn, Lala Laxman Das’s Sarai located in Bank Bazar area, where they were hiding. They were on way back to Amritsar when they were taken to Vallah canal for recovery of weapons used in the crime.

Along with Sukhjinder and Gurkirat, the police had arrested their third accomplice, Sukhwinder Singh of Butra village in Jalandhar. He had accompanied the two shooters to the residence of NRI Sukhchain Singh on Saturday.

“When the police teams led by ADCP Abhimanyu Rana went to the spot for recovery of weapons, the two shooters pushed the cops and took out the pistols from the spot, where they had hidden these, and shot at them. The cops fired in self-defence in which Sukhjinder and Gurkirat were injured,” informed Police Commissioner Ranjit Singh Dhillon.

Giving details, Police Commissioner said they were hired for Rs 15 lakh by US-based Sukhwinder Singh, brother of victim Sukhchain Singh’s ex-wife, to avenge her death. She had died by suicide in 2022. The police said the accused were paid Rs 85,000 as initial payment to execute the task. It was Sukhwinder who had arranged the weapons used in the crime.

Police Commissioner said after shooting Sukhchain the shooters parked the bike in a gurdwara in Khadoor Sahib after hiding pistols near the Vallah canal.

Till now eight persons have been arrested in the case. Earlier, the police had arrested Sarvan Singh, father of victim’s first wife, Jagjit Singh and Chamkaur Singh, both residents of Thath village in Tarn Taran who assisted the shooters besides inn owner Digambar Atri and his manager Abhilaksh Bhaskar, where they stayed.