Dear follower murder: Sixth shooter, 2 accomplices held after brief encounter

The anti-gangster task force of Punjab police Sunday arrested Ramjan Khan alias Raj Hooda, the sixth shooter involved in the murder of Dera Sacha Sauda follower Pardeep Kataria.

BATHINDA: The anti-gangster task force (AGTF) of Punjab police on Sunday arrested Ramjan Khan alias Raj Hooda, the sixth shooter involved in the murder of Dera Sacha Sauda follower Pardeep Kataria, from Jaipur on Sunday afternoon.

Revealing details, Punjab director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said that Khan, who was till now identified as Raj Hooda by the police, was held with his two accomplices after a brief encounter.

“AGTF conducted the operation in coordination with the Rajasthan police and central intelligence agencies,” Yadav added.

Khan’s accomplices have been identified as Happy Mehla (19) and Sahil Mehla (18), both residents of Hanumangarh in Rajasthan.

The police have also recovered two pistols, including a Chinese-made Star .30 calibre and .32 calibre, from their possession, the DGP added.

Police sources said the shooter Khan, a resident of Rohtak, was spotted hiding with his accomplices in a residential area of Vinayak Enclave Colony of Jaipur.

When Khan was asked by the police to surrender, he opened fire at the police teams and sustained minor injuries in the crossfire.

Police sources said Khan was rushed to the hospital in Jaipur for medical assistance, and he is stated to be out of danger. “No police personnel suffered any injury during the operation,” police said.

The arrest is a significant development as Khan was at large since 38-year-old Kataria, an accused in the 2015 Bargari sacrilege case, was shot dead by six assailants in Faridkot’s Kotkapura town on November 10. Kataria was out on bail at the time of his murder.

Khan is one of eight persons arrested so far in the sensational murder. Others arrested include shooters Manpreet Singh Manni, Bhupinder Singh Goldy, Jitender Jeetu and two juveniles.

Khan, Jeetu and the juveniles are from Haryana, whereas the other two are from Punjab.

Jeetu and the minors were held by the Special Cell of Delhi within hours of the crime in Patiala on November 11. Two persons, Vicky Chauhan and Swaran Singh were arrested on Saturday from Jaitu town of Faridkot for providing logistic support to the shooters.

Manni and Goldy were arrested by the Punjab police in Hoshiarpur on November 17.

Goldy Brar, an accomplice of Khalistani terrorist Harvinder Singh alias Rinda and jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi has emerged as the mastermind behind Kataria’s murder.

A murder accused, Bhola Singh, who is lodged in a Faridkot prison, was nominated in the case by the police on Saturday as the communication link between Brar and shooters Manpreet Singh Manni and Bhupinder Singh Goldy. Bhola is the brother-in-law of Manni.

Punjab police official’s privy to the investigation said that special teams have been hunting Khan for the last 10 days.

Faridkot senior superintendent of police (SSP) Rajpal Singh said after completing various legal and medical protocols, Khan will be handed over to the district police.

©Hindustan Times

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