Batala (Punjab) [India], July 15 : In a significant breakthrough amidst the ongoing drive to make Punjab a safe and secure state, as per the directives of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, the Punjab Police has successfully foiled a targeted killing plot. The operation led to the arrest of five operatives linked to the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria gang, which US-based handler Husandeep Singh was coordinating.
Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav said on Tuesday that the police also recovered two firearms, a PX5 pistol and a .32 bore pistol, from the possession of the arrested individuals.
The Counter-Intelligence unit of Punjab and the district police of Amritsar Rural and Batala jointly conducted the intelligence-led operation.
The statement highlights that those arrested have been identified as Lovepreet Singh, Sikandar Kumar alias Gola, and Onkarpreet alias Jashan, a trio residing in the village of Shahabad in Batala; Gagandeep alias Giani, a resident of Gandhi Camp in Batala; and Mehakpreet Singh, a resident of Amritsar.
DGP Gaurav Yadav said that preliminary investigations revealed incarcerated gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria currently lodged in Silchar Jail (Assam) had hatched a conspiracy to carry out a target killing of an alleged rival gang member to avenge the recent murder of his mother, an incident that has further intensified the turf war between rival criminal factions.
As per the statement, DGP said that "Jaggu Bhagwanpuria had been conspiring to execute this killing through his US-based associate Husandeep Singh, who collaborated with ground handlers, including Lovepreet Singh, to mobilise shooters and execute the plan. Further investigations are underway to establish forward and backwards linkages in this case."
The first breakthrough came when Amritsar Rural Police, led by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Amritsar Rural Maninder Singh, apprehended an individual identified as Mehakpreet Singh. On being interrogated, the latter disclosed that one Sikandar Kumar alias Gola, son of Sutresh Kumar, resident of Village Shahabad, PS Rangar Nangal, Batala, had crucial information about the shooters and the execution plan.
Sharing operational details, SSP Batala Suhail Qasim Mir said that "Acting swiftly on this information, Batala Police traced Sikandar Kumar and apprehended him along with his aide, Onkarpreet alias Jashan. Further interrogation led to the arrest of another associate, Gagandeep alias Giani."
He stated that during sustained questioning, the accused, Sikandar Kumar, revealed that he was being handled by one Lovepreet Singh, a key coordinator in this plot, who was eventually apprehended by the Batala Police in a separate operation.
The SSP said that the accused, Lovepreet, disclosed that the entire plan was being orchestrated by Jaggu's close associate, Husandeep Singh, remotely from the USA. The objective of the plot was to eliminate an alleged rival gang member, he added.
A case FIR No. 80/2025 has been registered under section 25 of the Arms Act and sections 61(2) and 111 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Police Station Rangar Nangal in Batala.