Punjab Police Averts Possible Target Killing With Arrest Of Six Members Of Kaushal Chaudhary Gang ; Six Pistols Recovered

Chandigarh (The Uttam Hindu) : Striking a major blow to the organised crime, Counter Intelligence Amritsar has foiled a possible target killing with the arrest of six members of Kaushal Chaudhary Gang, including two key shooters identified as Puneet Lakhanpal and Narinder Kumar alias Lalli, who were involved in the murders of Kabaddi player Sandeep Singh Nangal Ambian and Sukhmeet Singh alias Deputy, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Monday.

The other four arrested members have been identified as Harpreet Singh alias Happal of Guru Har Sahai in Ferozepur, Gurbhinder Singh of Chattiwind Lehal in Amritsar, Sandeep Singh of Village Rajdhan in Amritsar and Maninderjit Singh alias Shinda of Badowal Jhande in Ludhiana. Police teams have also recovered six .30 bore foreign-made pistols along with 40 rounds from their possession. DGP Gaurav Yadav said that the same gang was also involved in firing indiscriminately at the Highway King Hotel in Rajasthan and demanding an extortion of Rs 5 crores in September 2024. All the arrested accused persons have a criminal history and they were evading arrests since the last three years, he added.

He said that preliminary investigation has revealed that the arrested persons are professional shooters of organised criminal network of Kaushal Chaudhary gang, which is active in Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab, etc, and they execute criminal activities on the directions of their foreign based handlers. Sharing operation details, the DGP said that on Sunday, a team from Counter Intelligence Amritsar received a reliable input about members of the Kaushal Chaudhary Gang, including Amarjit Singh alias Amar, Jagjit Singh alias Gandhi, Balwinder Singh alias Doni, Prabhdeep Singh alias Prabh Dasuwal, and others, were orchestrating a target killing in the state by sitting abroad with the assistance of local operatives.

The information further elaborated that local members of the gang were reportedly roaming near Haveli restaurant in Jandiala Amritsar and are equipped with lethal weapons, he said, while adding that acting swiftly, police teams laid a special checkpoint and arrested six members of the gang and recovered six pistols and ammunition from their possession. He said that further investigations are ongoing to uncover deeper links within their criminal network, which spans multiple states and involves illegal activities including extortion, arms smuggling, and organised violence. In this regard, a case FIR No. 05 dated 26.01.2025 has been registered under sections 25, 25(1), 25(1) (d) and 25(8) of the Arms Act and sections 111 and 61(2) Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Act at Police Station State Special Operations Cell (SSOC), Amritsar.

BOX: Criminal Background of the Arrested Individuals:

- Puneet Lakhanpal: Notorious member of the Kaushal Chaudhary Gang, involved in murder cases including Kabaddi player Sandeep Singh Nangal Ambian and Sukhmeet Deputy, and has over 20 registered cases against him.

- Narinder Kumar @ Lalli: Key shooter in the Kaushal Chaudhary Gang, wanted in murder cases, including Kabaddi player Sandeep Singh Nangal Ambian and Sukhmeet Deputy, and has seven other criminal cases pending against him.

- Harpreet Singh @ Happal: Member of Balwinder @ Doni and Prabh Dasuwal gangs, convicted in 2019 and currently under trial for multiple cases involving illegal arms and violence.

- Maninderjit Singh @ Shinda: Hardened criminal with ties to various gangs, implicated in numerous arms-related offences and violent crimes, with many cases still under trial.

- Sandeep Singh: Linked to the Kaushal Chaudhary Gang's criminal activities, with the full extent of his involvement still being investigated.

- Gurbhinder Singh: Involved in drug-related offences and firearms possession, currently under trial for multiple criminal cases, including violations of the Arms Act and the NDPS Act.