Amritsar, December 26: With the arrest of five notorious criminals, the city police on Wednesday claimed to have solved the gangster-turned-financier and property dealer Balwinder Singh Billa’s murder case in Kot Khalsa.
The accused were also wanted in another incident in which a youth was shot dead in Bhullar village on December 17.
Those arrested were identified as Amarbir Singh alias Gopi of Baba Darshan Singh Avenue, Gurjashanjit Singh alias Chini of Chheharta, Gurbir Singh of Baba Darshan Singh Avenue, Jaidev Singh of Ashok Vihar Colony, Kamboh, and Abhiraj Singh alias Abhi, a driver of Chheharta area.
Following a tip off, a checkpoint was laid near Taran Wala Pul late yesterday evening.
When the police signalled a white coloured Hyundai I-20 car, the occupants tried to run over the police team headed by Inspector Palwinder Singh besides firing a gun shot.
However, the driver lost control and collided with the divider. They were overpowered and nabbed by the police.
The police recovered two imported weapons including a 9mm pistol, a .30 bore and .32 bore pistols, with nine live cartridges, from their possession.
According to Police Commissioner SS Srivastava, Gopi was wanted in over 20 criminal cases of different nature while others also have several cases registered against them.
A case of attempt to murder for firing at the police party was lodged against the accused.
Srivastava said Gurjashajit Chini was also involved in the murder of Balwinder Singh Billa in which the police had booked four persons, including Rajbir Dhola and Angrej Singh, both notorious gangsters.
They were also involved in the killing of Sukhraj Singh, a 22-year old youth in Bhullar village located on Chogwan-Ajnala road in Ajnala.
The police had booked Gopi and Chini among several others. Rural police had already nabbed Sukhman Singh who had a dispute with Sukhraj Singh.
Srivastava said Mahal and Abhi were the same persons who had left a Fortuner SUV inside Guru Nanak Dev University campus after police got an alert about entrance of some notorious criminals inside the campus in mid-November.
It was the same gang that had fired gun shots in Chheharta area leaving two children injured on November 28.
The gang had also snatched a car from near Hartej Hospital from a driver on December 9. The family members of the owner had come to visit PITEX annual fair.
They had also attacked a police party in Chheharta area in July.
