Punjab: 2 accused injured in police encounter after youth shot dead outside Sant Bhag Singh University in Jalandhar
Jan 18, 2026
Jalandhar (Punjab) [India], January 18 : A police encounter took place in Jalandhar after two men accused of killing a youth outside Sant Bhag Singh University were injured and admitted to a hospital, police officials said on Sunday.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Jalandhar Harvinder Singh Virk said the victim, identified as Kesar Dhami, was shot dead by two assailants outside the university campus.
"An incident occurred outside Sant Bhag Singh University, where a boy named Kesar Dhami was shot dead by two shooters. This is a very sensational crime. The two shooters even put up a social media post after the crime. A case was registered in PS Adampur, and an investigation began. The two accused were injured in an encounter and have been admitted to the hospital," the Jalandhar Police SSP said.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident on Saturday, Karan Pathak, the prime accused in the Mohali-based Rana Balachauria murder case, was killed in a police encounter in the early hours of the morning.
According to SSP Harmandeep Singh, the accused, who was jailed at CIA Kharar, was taken to a hospital after complaining of chest pain. During the commute to the hospital, the police vehicle met with a minor accident after hitting a divider due to dense fog and low visibility. Taking advantage of the incident, the accused managed to flee after attacking the police personnel.
"The main shooter in the Rana Balachauria murder case was arrested in West Bengal. He was jailed in CIA Kharar. He complained about chest pain, for which he was taken to the hospital last night. Due to excessive fog and darkness, the vehicle collided with a divider. When the vehicle stopped, he attacked a personnel with the handcuffs on him. He managed to escape after injuring the personnel," SSP Singh told ANI.
Mohali police launched an intensive search operation and traced the accused to a nearby jungle area. SSP Singh said that when the team moved in to apprehend Pathak, he opened fire at the police party, forcing them to retaliate in self-defence. A brief exchange of fire followed, during which the police reportedly fired around seven rounds, while the accused also fired multiple shots at the personnel.
Karan Pathak was neutralised in the encounter and died on the spot. During the cross-firing, one police personnel sustained a bullet injury to his leg and was immediately shifted to a hospital. His condition is stated to be stable and out of danger.