A suspected gunman and his accomplice were arrested late Saturday following a brief shootout near Doraha, three days after they allegedly opened fire on the son of a village’s acting sarpanch to coerce him into signing documents.
Khanna police identified the injured accused as Inderjit Singh Bui, a resident of Rajgarh village, who sustained a bullet injury to his leg during the exchange of fire. His associate, Gurveer Singh, was taken into custody unharmed. A firearm was recovered from the spot.
The arrests are linked to a December 24 attack on Manpreet Singh Goldy, son of Rajgarh’s acting sarpanch. Doraha police had booked four suspects — Manjot Singh, his brothers Prabhjot Singh and Inderjit Singh Bui, and one unidentified man — on charges of attempted murder. Senior superintendent of police Jyoti Yadav said the assailant fired seven to eight rounds before fleeing.
Encounter details
Police said a tip-off led them to a restaurant near Doraha on Saturday evening, where Bui — a proclaimed offender in four previous cases including attempted murder and snatching — was spotted with Gurveer. The duo abandoned their motorcycle and ran into a nearby house.
After the area was cordoned off, two policemen entered the premises and apprehended Gurveer. Bui scaled a wall, noticed the police presence and opened fire, hitting a police vehicle. Officers retaliated, injuring Bui in the leg. He was arrested and admitted to the government hospital in Payal, where his condition is stable. No police personnel or civilians were injured.
SSP Yadav said efforts are under way to arrest Manjot and Prabhjot at the earliest. Further questioning will probe possible wider links or gang connections. Police said Gurveer has no prior criminal record.
Background
The incident stemmed from a dispute over document signatures. Acting DSP Karamjit Grewal said that on December 25, Manjot and Prabhjot approached Goldy for signatures, leading to an argument. They allegedly called Inderjit Singh Bui, who arrived on a motorcycle with an unidentified accomplice and fired multiple rounds at Goldy before fleeing. Goldy escaped unhurt.
