Rural police in the district have arrested a third suspect, Sukhpreet Singh ‘Sukh’, in connection with the murder of Manjit Singh in Dhoolka village, following a brief encounter on Tuesday.
Sukh, a resident of Ugana village in Patiala district, was injured after allegedly opening fire on police, who returned fire during the operation. He is currently reported to be in stable condition at a hospital.
Deputy Inspector General (Border Range) Sandeep Goel confirmed that Manjit Singh was killed on November 16, when two unidentified shooters entered his shop in Dhoolka village and shot him. A case was registered at Khalchian police station.
The investigation has now led to the arrest of all major suspects:
Raja Singh ‘Billa’, the main accused from Cheema Kalan, was killed in an earlier brief encounter.
Manpreet Singh ‘Shammi’, an accomplice, was arrested previously.
Sukhpreet Singh ‘Sukh’ was apprehended following the Tuesday encounter.
Police received secret intelligence that Sukhpreet was active in the area and planning another crime. A trap was laid near the Jethuwal Canal, and when intercepted, he allegedly fired at the police. Authorities seized a 9 mm pistol and three rounds of ammunition from him before taking him to the hospital.
With Sukh’s arrest, law enforcement officials say that all major suspects in the Manjit Singh murder case are now in custody, marking a significant breakthrough in the investigation.
