Bathinda, Feb 17: Bathinda police on Tuesday morning apprehended five individuals from an incomplete shopping complex near the city railway station following a brief armed encounter. One of the suspects sustained a gunshot wound to the leg during the operation, which was launched to curb a series of robberies targeting passengers in the area.
The raid was conducted by a police team led by Inspector Parvinder Singh after receiving specific intelligence regarding the suspects’ location. Upon being cornered in the abandoned building, one of the men reportedly opened fire on the officers.
“Acting on specific information, a police team conducted a raid at the building,” stated Narinder Singh, SP (City), Bathinda. “During the operation, Neeraj opened fire at the police using a country-made pistol. The police initially fired in the air in response. When the accused attempted to fire again, the police returned fire, which hit Neeraj in the leg.”
The individuals taken into custody include Neeraj, also known as Kala, his brother Ghota, and three others identified as Vikramjit, Karan, and Rahul. According to police records, Neeraj and Ghota are currently facing seven criminal cases each, while Vikramjit has two prior cases registered against him.
Authorities noted that the group was allegedly involved in looting travelers arriving at or departing from the nearby railway station. Following the encounter, a case was registered at the Kotwali police station under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the NDPS Act.
The arrests come amid public concern over drug-related activity in the region, fueled by recent viral videos on social media showing individuals using suspicious substances. While Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal shared one such video on Facebook, police clarified that the men arrested Tuesday were not the individuals featured in those clips.
Officers maintained that seven other persons had been rounded up on Monday as a preventive measure to address the broader security concerns in the city.
