The Punjab Police on Sunday averted a possible target killing in Uttarakhand with the arrest of two gang members associated with designated-terrorist outfits Arsh Dala and Gangster Sukha Duneke, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav said on Sunday.
Those arrested have been identified as Shimla Singh of Village Granghana in Mansa and Harjeet Singh alias Gora of village Bhadoliyanwali in Fatehabad, Haryana. Police teams have recovered three pistols including one .32 bore, .315 bore (country-made), one 12 bore pistol (country-made) along with live cartridges and magazines and Rs 1.90 lakh cash, which was provided for contract killing.
The DGP said following reliable inputs, the Counter Intelligence Bathinda along with Bathinda District Police laid a Naka at village Jassi Pauwali in Bathinda and arrested Shimla Singh, when he was going to meet his friend.
Shimla Singh revealed that Arsh Dala assigned him a task to kill Kashipur-based businessman and asked him to meet his associate Sadhu Singh, who is currently lodged in Haldwani Jail, for logistic support.
Arsh Dala had sent Rs Seven lakh to Shimla Singh in two instalments— Rs Four lakh and Rs Three lakh— to carry out the assigned contract killing, he added.
The accused Shimla Singh provided Rs Four lakh to an unknown person on the directions of Sukha Duneke, while Rs Three lakh rupees to Harjeet Singh alias Gora to arrange six weapons for the task.Later, Police teams with the help of Haryana Police have also arrested Harjeet Gora from his village in Haryana, he said, while adding that further investigations are on and more recoveries are expected.