Mohali, July 22 — A man allegedly associated with the banned outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) was injured in a police encounter near Chappar Chiri on Monday, while three of his accomplices were arrested from different parts of Punjab in connection with the July 10 firing incident outside a property dealer’s office in Aerocity.
The accused, identified as Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi, a resident of Mandi Gobindgarh, was being tracked by the Kharar CIA team. Acting on a tip-off, the team intercepted him near Chappar Chiri, where he reportedly attempted to flee and opened fire at the police vehicle, firing two rounds. Police retaliated, injuring him in the leg before taking him into custody.
“Gopi was asked to surrender but chose to fire at the police. He was neutralised with minimum force and is currently undergoing treatment under custody,” said Superintendent of Police (SP) Saurav Jindal.
Three other suspects — Sachin Kumar, Manpreet Singh and Rajinder Singh — were arrested late Sunday night from different locations across the state. All four are accused in the Aerocity shooting, which was allegedly an act of intimidation tied to an extortion demand of ₹2 crore.
According to the complaint filed by Ashok Goel, the property dealer, he had been receiving threatening calls demanding the sum in the name of Babbar Khalsa International. The assailants allegedly opened fire outside his office as a warning. A first information report (FIR) was lodged at the IT City police station soon after the incident.
Investigators recovered a black Splendor motorcycle used in the crime, along with a .32-bore pistol. Police said all four accused have existing criminal records and are suspected to have links with BKI operatives based overseas.
“Each of them has been involved in serious cases in the past, and their communication trails suggest coordination with individuals operating from abroad,” said SP Jindal.
Gopi, in particular, is wanted in multiple cases registered in Mandi Gobindgarh and Khanna, including charges of attempted murder and violations under the Arms Act.
The operation was led by SP (Operations) Talwinder Singh, DSP Jatinder Singh Chauhan, and CIA in-charge Harminder Singh, under the overall supervision of Mohali SSP Harmandeep Hans.
Following Monday’s encounter, a new FIR was registered at Balongi police station under Sections 109, 132, and 221 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with applicable sections of the Arms Act. Further investigation is ongoing, police said.
