Triple murder in Ferozepur linked to gang rivalry: Police

Two days after the Punjab Police solved the sensational triple murder case in Ferozepur with the arrest of six shooters from Aurangabad, Maharashtra, investigations revealed that the primary target of the assailants was Dildeep Singh, while two other victims, including a young girl, were killed unintentionally in the crossfire.

505 gangs dismantled in over two years

• The Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) of the Punjab Police has dismantled 505 gangster modules in the past two-and-a-half years. Under the leadership of ADGP Promod Ban, the AGTF arrested 1,408 gangsters, neutralised 16 and recorded 107 encounters. The force seized 1,332 weapons and 293 vehicles from criminals
• Encounters led to injuries to 81 gangsters, while three police personnel were martyred, and 26 others injured. AIG Gurmeet S Chauhan highlighted these achievements during a press briefing alongside other officials
• Since its formation on April 6, 2022, the AGTF has blocked 203 social media accounts that promoted gang violence, including 132 on Facebook and 71 on Instagram. The task force has also collaborated with other states to check activities of gangster, smugglers and arms suppliers

Those arrested include Gurpreet Singh, alias Gopy Baba, of Chohla Sahib in Tarn Taran; Prince of Kunde village in Ferozepur; Ravinder Singh, alias Ravi, alias Sukhu, Sukhchain Singh, Akshay, alias Bagicha, and Rajbeer Singh, alias Daler Singh, all residents of Basti Bagh Wali in Ferozepur.

The arrests were part of “Operation Desert”, conducted by Punjab’s Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF), Ferozepur district Police, Central Agencies and the Maharashtra Police on the Hruday Samrat Balasaheb Thakre Express Highway in Aurangabad.

Addressing a press conference, AIG AGTF Gurmeet Chauhan, AIG AGTF Sandeep Goel, and Ferozepur SSP Saumya Mishra said the arrested individuals were being brought to Ferozepur for court proceedings to secure police remand for further questioning. They were accompanied by DSP Bikramjit Singh Brar and DSP Rajan Parminder Singh.

On September 9, around 12:50 pm, Dildeep Singh, Anmolpreet Singh, Jaspreet Kaur, Akashdeep, and Harpreet, alias Jonty, were travelling near Gurdwara Shri Akalgarh Sahib, Kamboj Nagar, Ferozepur City, when six assailants opened fire. Dildeep Singh, alias Lalli, Akashdeep Singh, and their sister Jaspreet Kaur were killed, while Anmolpreet Singh and Harpreet Singh were injured and are receiving medical treatment.

Preliminary investigations suggest the murders were driven by a personal enmity between Dildeep Singh and foreign-based gangsters Buvnesh Chopra, alias Ashish, and Harpreet Singh, alias Happy Mal. Dildeep Singh had a prior criminal record, and efforts are underway to extradite the main accused, Buvnesh Chopra.

Detailing the operation, AIG Chauhan explained that police launched “Operation Desert” to gather evidence and background information on the deceased. After gathering intelligence and conducting technical investigations, the police arrested Daljit Singh, who revealed during interrogation that he was tasked with surveilling the victims.

Further investigations led the AGTF to track the suspects in Nanded, Maharashtra. Inputs were shared with Central Agencies and the Maharashtra Police at 3 am on September 6-7. Acting on these inputs, the Commissioner of Police in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar (Aurangabad) and DSP AGTF Rajan Parminder Singh coordinated with the Maharashtra Police to intercept the suspects’ vehicle and detain the accused on time-sensitive information provided by the Punjab Police.

The police aim to question the accused further to uncover more details about the motive and connections behind the killings.