A major political uproar was sparked on Saturday after a video of two men intruding into an NRI home and shooting him with pistols in front of his family went viral. While the NRI's mother intervention and fortunate weapon failure saved NRI Sukhchain Singh's life, Amritsar Police swung into action. In a major operation, Amritsar Police have arrested five individuals involved in harbouring the attackers and being part of the conspiracy in the NRI Sukhchain Singh firing case. The arrests were made under FIR No. 88, dated 24-08-2024, under sections 109, 61(2) BNS, 25/27/54/59 Arms Act, at Makboolpura Police Station, Amritsar.
The arrested accused are-
- Jagjit Singh alias Jaggu, son of Amrik Singh, resident of Bhath village, Sadar Police Station, Tarn Taran district, aged 29 years.
- Chamkaur Singh alias Chhotu, son of Joginder Singh, resident of Bhath village, Sadar Police Station, Tarn Taran district, aged 38 years.
- Digambar Attri, son of Satish Kumar Attri, resident of House No. 2801/2, Gali Ranga Pippal, near SBI Bank, Amritsar.
- Abhilaksh Bhaskar, son of Rajeev Bhaskar, resident of Katra Ahluwalia, Amritsar.
- Sarwan Singh, son of Pyara Singh, resident of Bains Awan village, Tanda Police Station, Hoshiarpur district, who is also the father-in-law of the victim, Sukhchain Singh.
For the unversed, a case was registered based on a complaint by Harbhajan Kaur, wife of Sharan Singh, resident of House No. 222, Sangeet Nagar, near Medicat Hospital, GT Road, Amritsar. According to the complaint, on the morning of 24-08-2024, at around 7:00 AM, her son Sukhchain Singh, who had returned from the USA a month ago, was standing in the courtyard of their home, preparing to go to the gym. At this time, two men on a grey Splendor motorcycle entered the house through the open gate and started shooting at Sukhchain Singh with pistols. Hearing the commotion, Harbhajan Kaur tried to stop the attackers, but they fled the scene on their motorcycle after firing several shots.
Given the sensitivity of the case, senior officers arrived at the scene and formed multiple police teams for a thorough investigation. The CIA and Makboolpura Police teams identified and arrested the two men who provided shelter to the shooters:- 1. Jagjit Singh alias Jaggu, 2. Chamkaur Singh alias Chhotu
Additionally, the hotel owner Digambar Attri, and manager Abhilaksh Bhaskar were arrested for providing a room to the shooters without proper ID proof. Sarwan Singh, the father-in-law of Sukhchain Singh, was also arrested for his involvement.
Amritsar Police Commissioner Ranjit Singh Dhillon, addressing the media, confirmed that the attack was carried out by two young men who were identified and are now being pursued by the police. The commissioner further disclosed that the assailants were harboured by the victim's estranged in-laws, who had a long-standing family grudge against Sukhchain Singh. The victim's first wife had previously committed suicide, and it is alleged that her family arranged the attack.
The police have also traced financial transactions related to the attack, including a recent transfer of INR 25,000. Further investigations into these transactions are ongoing. The arrested suspects will be presented in court, where the police will request remand for detailed questioning to uncover more details about the incident.
Shooters identified by Punjab Police
The police have identified the two shooters, who are both professional criminals. One of them has ten previous cases, including under the NDPS Act, attempted murder, and theft, and was released on bail from Kapurthala Jail on 20-02-2024. The other shooter also has cases under the NDPS Act and was released on bail from Kapurthala Jail on 29-09-2023. Efforts are underway to arrest them.
Additional Family Details of the Victim’s In-Laws:
1. Sarwan Singh (Father-in-law) and Nishan Kaur alias Shanti (Mother-in-law), residents of Bains Awan village, Tanda Police Station, Hoshiarpur district.
2. Kuljinder Kaur alias Rani (Sister-in-law), resident of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
3. Sukhvinder Singh (Brother-in-law), resident of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
4. Jasvir Singh (Brother-in-law), resident of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.