Dera Bassi, January 17: Kale Khan, the night munshi posted at the Dera Bassi police station, who allegedly shot dead the traffic in-charge of Dera Bassi when the latter tried to intervene in a scuffle between Khan and head constable Lekh Raj last night, said it was “a case of mistaken identity”.
The probe has revealed that the munshi took out an “INSAS” rifle, which was kept in the malkhana, with a plan to eliminate Lekh Raj, after he had a scuffle with him over some issue, but instead killed Lakhwinder Singh, alias Lakha, mistaking him for Lekh Raj. Khan said he had no grudge against the deceased and regretted his act.
Narinder Kumar, investigating officer, said Kale Khan and Lekh Raj, both posted at the Dera Bassi police station, had a heated argument last night, which flared up and the duo exchanged blows in a room of the police station.
In the meantime, traffic in-charge ASI Lakhwinder Singh, who had come to the police station to deposit challans, intervened in the matter.
After pacifying both Khan and Lekh Raj, the ASI came out of the room and went towards the parking area, when all of a sudden, Kale Khan, who was under the influence of liquor, ran behind him, mistook him for Lekh Raj and allegedly shot him with a service rifle.
Kale Khan fled from the spot as soon as the ASI collapsed. He was taken to the Civil hospital, Dera Bassi, where he succumbed to the bullet injury.
The postmortem was conducted today by a board comprising three doctors at the Civil Hospital, Dera Bassi. One of the doctors said Lakhwinder Singh sustained one “entry and exit bullet wound”, which indicated that he was shot from a distane about 10-15 ft.
A doctor attached with the three-member team that conducted the autopsy said the bullet pierced the right side of his neck and exited. However, they recovered a small part of the bullet from the body. The deceased’s viscera has sent to a lab to determine the exact cause of his death. The body was handed over to his family members after the autopsy.
A case has already been registered under Section 302 of the IPC and under the Arms Act against Kale Khan at the Dera Bassi police station. The police produced Khan before a judicial magistrate, who remanded him in police custody till January 18.
Munshi was drunk, says medical report
A medical examination of the accused munshi, Kale Khan, was conducted to testify the blood alcohol content on Wednesday night and it was reportedly found that he was drunk at the time of the incident.
Friends knew ASI as an upright person
Traffic in-charge ASI Lakhwinder Singh was in the wrong place at the wrong time. His family and friends knew him as an upright, humble police officer and someone to look up to, said a traffic cop.
Dera Bassi gets new SHO
Mohinder Singh, posted at the Dera Bassi police station, was on Thursday shifted to the Police Lines, Mohali, a day after night munshi Kale Khan allegedly shot the Dera Bassi traffic in-charge. Lakhwinder Singh, EO Wing, Mohali, has been appointed the new SHO of Dera Bassi, said sources. A committee has been constituted to investigate the matter, the sources added.
