New Delhi: Punjab Police have arrested a personnel of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and recovered seven pistols and 25 rounds of ammunition from him and his accomplice, Patiala Senior Superintendent of Police Harmandeep Singh Hans said.
The paramilitary personnel, identified as Mandeep Singh alias Fauji, was wearing an SSB uniform when he was intercepted by the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) of Patiala district police on Sunday, Hans said.
Police said he was part of an arms supply network that procured weapons from outside states and supplied them to criminals in Punjab.
Mandeep, posted with the 50th battalion of the SSB in Uttar Pradesh’s Balrampur, was on leave and was spending time with his family in Barnala district. Patiala district police also arrested Gurdeep Singh from Jangiana village in Barnala, along with him.
Police said that he and his associate were booked under provisions of the Arms Act.
According to the FIR, the SI’s special informant told police that Mandeep Singh alias Fauji and Gurdeep Singh used to bring arms from outside states and supply them to Punjab.
Sources in the SSB confirmed that Mandeep is a serving personnel and that his deployment was as stated by Punjab Police.
“He was earlier suspended when he was jailed and was later reinstated during pendency of trial,” an SSB official told ThePrint.
A fresh departmental enquiry will be initiated taking cognisance of his arrest in Punjab, the officer said.
Hans told a news conference on Monday that the accused were apprehended near the Patiala-Sangrur Road near Wajidpur village and seven pistols along with 25 rounds were recovered from their possession. They included a .30 bore pistol and six .32 bore pistols.
Hans said that Mandeep and Gurdeep were in contact with another Barnala man, Satti, who is currently lodged in jail. They were all allegedly working together on the instructions of another Barnala man, Harsh, who is based abroad.
“Harsh is a local criminal based in Canada, and they had arranged these weapons for some criminal activities based on his directions. However, they were intercepted by the Patiala CIA before they could execute their task,” he further said.
According to police, Mandeep has been booked in three previous cases involving an alleged scuffle and firing against the family of a woman with whom he had a relationship.
In one of the cases, the Rupnagar Police charged him with offences including criminal intimidation, rioting, trespass and causing hurt with weapons.
In one case, Mandeep spent roughly two months in jail and was charged by the Punjab Police with attempt to murder and violations under the Arms Act.
Hans said it was during his time in jail that Mandeep allegedly developed contacts with illegal arms suppliers in Madhya Pradesh. He then began procuring weapons for supply to criminals in Punjab at high prices.
In his complaint leading to registration of the FIR, a police officer documented that an informer tipped them off about Mandeep and Gurpreet bringing arms and ammunition from other states and supplying them in Punjab.
Police had also received inputs that both Gurpreet and Mandeep faced criminal cases in the past.
“Even today, Mandeep Singh alias Fauji, who wears an army uniform and brings arms from outside states and supplies them to different districts of Punjab, along with his gang member Gurdeep Singh, is on the verge of committing an incident,” a police officer documented in the FIR leading to the arrest of the duo.
“If the vehicles coming and going are checked by setting up a blockade near the bus stand Wajidpur right now, then both of them can be caught along with deadly and lethal weapons. The information is solid and reliable,” it added.
(Edited by Sugita Katyal)