Punjab police arrested three shooters linked to gangster Happy Jatt from Jaigaon along the Bhutan border in Alipurduar district on Wednesday morning in connection with a double murder case at Batala in the western state.
Jatin Singh, Sajandeep Singh and Mahekdeep Singh were produced in the chief judicial magistrate’s court in Alipurduar and later taken into transit remand by the Punjab police forfurther interrogation.
The operation was carried out jointly by the anti-gangster task force (AGTF) and the overseas fugitive tracking and extradition cell (OFTEC), all of which function under the central intelligence unit of the Punjab police, along with the Alipurduardistrict police.
According to the investigators, the trio were directly involved in the April 27 incident at Batala in Gurdaspur district, where kabaddi coach Kashmir Singh, 40, and KJugraj Singh, a 19-year-old player, were shot dead at point-blank range.
Jugraj Singh, 18, sustained serious injuries and remains under treatment.
The police said four assailants arrived on two motorcycles before opening fire on the victims.
The investigators suspect that the trio were trying to sneak into Bhutan through the Jaigaon border on Wednesday.
They were tracked down using CCTV footage, technical surveillance, and intelligence inputs.
Sources said the accused are close associates of gangster Happy Jatt, whose real name is Harpreet Singh.
Happy Jatt is wanted in multiple criminal cases, including drug trafficking, arms smuggling, extortion, contract killings, and heroin smuggling. The Punjab police have been pursuing him fora long time.
“We worked around the clock to track down the three accused and finally succeeded. The Bengal police extended crucial assistance in the operation. These men were among the most wanted suspects,” Sandeep Wadhera, a senior officer of the Punjab police, told the media inAlipurduar.
They have launched a probe to know how the accused reached Jaigaon and whether they received shelter or logistical support there or in nearby Phuentsholing in Bhutan.
“We provided all the necessary support sought by the Punjab police during the operation to arrest three persons,” said Amit Kumar Shaw, the superintendent of policeof Alipurduar.