— PUNJAB POLICE COMMITTED TO MAKING PUNJAB A SAFE AND SECURE STATE AS PER DIRECTIONS OF CM BHAGWANT SINGH MANN

— BOTH ARRESTED PERSONS WERE TASKED BY THEIR FOREIGN HANDLERS TO CARRY OUT TARGETED KILLINGS IN PUNJAB, SAYS DGP GAURAV YADAV

— ARRESTED ACCUSED MEHAKPREET AND YUVRAJ WERE ALSO INVOLVED IN FIRING AT SARPANCH’S HOUSE IN TARN TARAN: ADGP AGTF PROMOD BAN

TARN TARAN, April 18:

     Amidst the ongoing drive to make Punjab a safe and secure state as per the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) Punjab in a joint operation with Tarn Taran Police has arrested two key associates of Terrorist Lakhbir Singh alias Landa Harike and Gangster Satnam Singh alias Satta Naushehra Gang after a brief exchange of fire took place near village Jawanda in Tarn Taran, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Friday.

     Those arrested have been identified as Mehakpreet Singh alias Mehak, a resident of village Sekhwan in Batala and Yuvraj Singh alias Jaggu, a resident of Muradpura in Tarn Taran. Police teams have also recovered two sophisticated pistols including one 9MM Glock and one .30 calibre PX30 along with live cartridges and empty bullet shells from their possession.

     DGP Gaurav Yadav said that preliminary investigations have revealed that both were being directed by foreign handlers to carry out targeted killings in Punjab. “With the these two operatives, Punjab Police has averted targetted killings and other sensational crimes in the state,” he said.

      Sharing more details, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) AGTF Promod Ban revealed that the arrested accused persons— Mehakpreet and Yuvraj— were also involved in the firing at Sarpanch’s house in Tarn Taran. According to the information, two bike borne youth had opened fire outside the residence of Sarpanch of Naushehra Pannuan village on the intervening night of March 26 and 27, 2025.

     The ADGP said that the teams of the AGTF under the supervision of AIG Sandeep Goel and teams of Tarn Taran Police under the supervision of SSP Abhimanyu Rana, were pursuing the culprits involved in the case of firing outside Sarpanch’s house, and based human and intel-inputs located both the accused persons roaming in the area of Naushehra Pannuan.

     Sharing operation details, AIG Sandeep Goel said that acting swiftly joint police teams of the AGTF and Tarn Taran Police followed the trail of both the accused persons. “When police teams intercepted both the accused persons, the latter opened firing at the police party in an attempt to evade arrest, prompting the police teams to retaliate in self-defence,” said the AIG.

     SSP Abhimanyu Rana said that during the exchange of fire both the accused persons sustained bullet injuries and have been admitted to the local Hospital for medical treatment. Police teams have recovered two sophisticated weapons from their possession, he added.

     The SSP said that accused Mehakpreet Singh has a criminal background and apart from his involvement in case of firing at Sarpanch’s house, the accused was also wanted in case registered under Explosive Substances Act in which two hand grenades and arms-ammunition were recovered. Further investigations are ongoing to unearth their whole network, he said.

      A case FIR no. 49 dated 18/04/2025 has been registered under sections 111 (3) and 113 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and sections 25 (6) and 25 (7)(i) of the Arms Act at Police Station Sirhali in Tarn Taran.