Ropar, July 31: The Ropar police on Thursday resolved the murder case of a man whose body was recovered from the Anandpur Sahib hydel canal near Nangal earlier in the week, apprehending three suspects involved in the crime. In an unrelated law enforcement operation, police teams also arrested two individuals hailing from Himachal Pradesh, recovering seven illegal pistols along with six live cartridges during a targeted crackdown on criminal elements.
Senior Superintendent of Police Maninder Singh stated that the unidentified body was retrieved from the canal near Patti village on July 28. Following initial identification challenges, authorities circulated photographs of distinctive tattoos on the victim’s body across social media platforms, leading his wife, Neeru Bala, to identify him as Nangal resident Balwinder Pal on July 30.
Subsequent investigation led to the arrest of Amitoj, Amarjit, and Gaurav. Investigators revealed that the victim regularly associated with the suspects, with Amarjit routinely entering into altercations with Pal under the influence of alcohol. Police declared that on July 28, the accused intoxicated Pal before murdering him and disposing of his body in the hydel canal to conceal evidence. All three suspects, who hold prior criminal records involving theft and narcotics, were remanded to three days of police custody.
In the parallel arms operation, police intercepted Lakhwinder Singh and Raman near Shiv Mandir on IIT Road on the night of July 27 following a specific lead. SSP Singh affirmed that the arrests were part of a special drive against habitual offenders, adding that investigators are currently probing interstate weapons supply networks linked to the seized firearms.
