In a dramatic turn of events, Mohali police on Wednesday afternoon gunned down an accused in the high-profile murder of kabaddi promoter Digvijay Singh, popularly known as Rana Balachauria. The encounter took place in Derabassi, near Chandigarh, leaving two police personnel injured, one of them critically.
Mastermind Nabbed at Airport, Shooters Still at Large
The police action followed the crucial arrest of the alleged mastermind, Aishdeep Singh, at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in Delhi on Tuesday night. Aishdeep was attempting to flee to Muscat when Mohali police intercepted him. His interrogation led the police to the location of the slain suspect, Harpinder Singh alias Middhi.
According to Mohali Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Harmandeep Singh Hans, the trail began with the arrest of another suspect, Yugraj, with assistance from Amritsar-rural police. Aishdeep Singh, who is wanted in multiple cases in Tarn Taran and Amritsar, had reportedly fled to Russia earlier and returned to India on November 25 specifically to execute the murder. After planning the hit, he booked a flight to Muscat for December 14. Rana was killed the next evening, December 15, after which Aishdeep immediately fled to Delhi.
The two main shooters, identified as Aditya Kapur alias Makhan and Karan Pathak alias Defaulter Karan, remain at large. Police efforts are ongoing to apprehend them.
Deadly Encounter in Lehli Village
Acting on the information extracted from Aishdeep, a police team led by Dera Bassi DSP Bikram Brar, SHO Sumit Mor, and inspectors Pushvinder Singh and Malkiat Singh zeroed in on Middhi. They intercepted him on Wednesday morning in Lehli village of Derabassi, located along the Ambala-Lalru Highway, approximately 30 kilometers from Chandigarh.
SSP Hans stated that when the police team moved to arrest him, Middhi opened fire. "Police teams surrounded the accused from three sides but he fired eight to ten rounds from a Turkish-made Zigana pistol. Police retaliated in self-defence," the SSP explained.
In the ensuing exchange of gunfire, head constable Kumar Sharma was shot in the leg. Another head constable, Gulab Singh, had a narrow escape when a bullet aimed at his chest was stopped by his bulletproof jacket. However, the blunt force of the impact left him injured. Middhi sustained bullet wounds to his legs and abdomen.
All three were rushed to a hospital, where Middhi succumbed to his injuries during treatment. The two injured policemen are currently undergoing medical care.
Gang War Link to Kabaddi Tournament Control
Police investigations have revealed that Middhi played a key role in the December 15 murder. He not only accompanied the two contract shooters to the kabaddi tournament but also provided them with logistical support. The shooters had lured Rana Balachauria on the pretext of taking selfies before shooting him dead.
SSP Hans disclosed that the murder was orchestrated as part of a gang war to assert control and dominance over kabaddi tournaments. No personal enmity has emerged as a motive so far. The probe has established that Rana Balachauria had direct links with gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, a rival of the Doni Bal-Patial-Bambiha gang.
"Aishdeep was in direct contact with gangster Doni Bal and other gang members — especially Jodha, who is based in Italy, and Gurlal, who operates from the USA," the SSP added.
Police sources indicated that Middhi was supposed to escape with Aishdeep but could not break out of the tightening police dragnet. The SSP confirmed that five to six more suspects have been identified as abettors in the crime and will be arrested soon.
