Faridkot police claimed to have apprehended a key accused in the Bhamanwala murder case after an armed encounter near Beer Sikhawala.The accused, Chinki, an aide of absconding foreign-based gangster Gaurav alias Lucky Patial of the Davinder Bambiha gang, was injured in the crossfire and arrested. SSP Dr Pragya Jain said the murder took place on July 22, when Yadwinder Singh of Mohali was shot dead by three motorcycle-borne assailants while accompanying Jeewanjot Chahal alias Jugnu to a religious function in Bahaumanwala village.Police had earlier arrested Chinki and his accomplice Suraj Kumar from Sirsa, Haryana, on July 27.During a follow-up operation, when police took Chinki to recover the motorcycle used in the crime, he allegedly retrieved a hidden .32 bore pistol from nearby bushes and opened fire on the police party.Officers retaliated, injuring Chinki and taking him into custody.Police recovered the weapon, two live rounds, and the motorcycle from the scene.A case under Sections 103(1), 109, 61(2) of BNS and Sections 25/27/54/59 of the Arms Act is already registered at City Police Station, Kotkapura.Jeewanjot Singh Chahal alias Jugnu was a key accused in the murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala. The July 22 attack was aimed at him, said the sources in the police.However, he had narrowly escaped the deadly attack, but his driver, Yadwinder Singh, was shot dead on the spot in the ambush. Chahal, who was scheduled to travel in the targeted car, reportedly changed vehicles at the last moment on the insistence of a relative.“I was initially seated in my car along with the driver, but my uncle requested I travel with him. I switched vehicles just before departure. As our convoy of four to five cars began the return journey, three bike-borne assailants opened fire on the car I was meant to be in. My driver was killed instantly,” Chahal said.The attack occurred while Chahal was returning from a bhog of his paternal grandfather in a gurudwara in Bhamanwala village near Kotkapura. It is alleged that the attack was aimed at Chahal at the instance of Lucky Patial. This isn’t the first time Chahal has been in the spotlight.In April this year, he was detained at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport while allegedly attempting to flee the country.He was apprehended based on a Look Out Circular (LoC) issued by Mansa Police following a complaint by Sidhu Moosewala’s family.The complaint cited a suspicious Facebook post Chahal had shared on the morning of May 29, 2022, the day Moosewala was gunned down in Jawahar Ke village of Mansa.The post read, “Mansa ch ajj sham nu bahut wadda toofan aun wala hai” (A major storm is coming to Mansa this evening), which he deleted shortly after. This post led to his name being included in the chargesheet in the murder case. However, sources later revealed that the LoC had been cancelled, but the update was not reflected in the airport immigration system. As a result, Chahal was briefly held before being released.
Gangster’s aide nabbed after armed encounter in Faridkot; linked to Bhamanwala murder
