Conspirator in sarpanch killing shot dead in encounter in Tarn Taran: DIG

Four suspects have already been arrested in the Sekhon murder case.

A conspirator in the killing of AAP-backed sarpanch Jarmal Singh in Amritsar two days ago, who was also part of the module involved in plotting the murder of Congress block president Harman Sekhon in Tarn Taran, was shot dead in an encounter with a joint team of CIA staff and Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) near Bhikhiwind in Tarn Taran district on Tuesday, DIG (Border Range) Snehdeep Sharma said.

The DIG said the accused, Harnur, alias Noor, a resident of the Kathunangal area, was a close associate of foreign-based gangsters Prabh Dasuwal and Afridi.

Sharma said, “Acting on a tip-off that Noor was travelling in the area astride a motorcycle, a CIA and AGTF joint team started following him. When our team intercepted him, the accused abandoned his motorcycle and opened fire at them.”

“During the crossfire, a bullet struck a police personnel, but he escaped unhurt due to his bulletproof jacket. However, Noor suffered serious injuries and was rushed to a hospital, but succumbed to his injuries,” the DIG said, adding a pistol was seized from Noor’s possession.

Sarpanch Jarmal Singh, a resident of Valthoa village in Tarn Taran district, was attending a wedding ceremony at Marigold Marriage Palace in Amritsar on Sunday when some unidentified assailants shot him dead from point-blank range, police said. According to eyewitnesses, the assailants, disguised as guests, attacked the sarpanch when he was eating. After a bullet struck him on his forehead, he fell on the table and was taken to a nearby hospital, but succumbed to his injuries, police said.

The DIG said Noor was helping the module involved in plotting Sekhon’s murder. Four suspects have already been arrested in the Sekhon murder case. “During their interrogation, it emerged that at the behest of foreign-based gangsters Donny Bal and Prabh Dasuwal, they had earlier planned to target Sekhon during the zila parishad elections held last year, but could not execute the plan,” the DIG said

The DIG said, “Noor was assisting those who conducted reconnaissance of Sekhon, while he himself did recce of sarpanch Jarmal Singh. Tarn Taran police have been coordinating with Amritsar police to probe Noor’s exact role in the murder case.”

“Security agencies are also examining his role as a field worker for gangs linked to Dasuwal and Afridi,” the DIG added.