In a significant development, a key conspirator involved in the recent murder of an Aam Aadmi Party-backed village head and the plot to kill a Congress block president was shot dead in an encounter in Punjab's Tarn Taran district on Tuesday. The accused, identified as Harnur, alias Noor, was a close associate of foreign-based gangsters and was neutralized by a joint police team.
The Encounter and Police Operation
Deputy Inspector General (Border Range) Snehdeep Sharma stated that the operation was carried out by a combined team of the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) staff and the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) near Bhikhiwind in Tarn Taran. Acting on specific intelligence that Noor was traveling in the area on a motorcycle, the police team began tracking him.
"When our team intercepted him, the accused abandoned his motorcycle and opened fire at them," DIG Sharma explained. The police retaliated, leading to a crossfire. During the exchange, a bullet struck a police personnel, but he was saved by his bulletproof jacket and escaped unhurt. Noor, however, sustained serious gunshot wounds.
The injured accused was immediately rushed to a hospital but succumbed to his injuries. The police recovered a pistol from his possession at the scene.
Noor's Criminal Network and Dual Murder Plots
DIG Sharma revealed that Harnur, alias Noor, a resident of the Kathunangal area, was a crucial operative with direct links to foreign-based gangsters Prabh Dasuwal and Afridi. His role extended across two high-profile murder conspiracies that have shaken the border districts of Punjab.
Firstly, he was actively involved in the module that plotted the murder of Congress block president Harman Sekhon in Tarn Taran. Four suspects have already been arrested in this case. During their interrogation, it was revealed that at the behest of foreign-based gangsters Donny Bal and Prabh Dasuwal, the module had earlier planned to target Sekhon during the zila parishad elections last year but failed to execute the plan.
"Noor was assisting those who conducted reconnaissance of Sekhon," the DIG stated, outlining his supportive role in that plot.
Secondly, and more recently, Noor played a direct part in the killing of AAP-backed sarpanch Jarmal Singh. The village head from Valthoa village in Tarn Taran district was attending a wedding at the Marigold Marriage Palace in Amritsar on Sunday when unidentified assailants, disguised as guests, shot him dead at point-blank range while he was eating.
"[Noor] himself did recce of sarpanch Jarmal Singh," DIG Sharma confirmed, highlighting his hands-on involvement in the sarpanch's murder. The Tarn Taran police are now coordinating with their Amritsar counterparts to probe Noor's exact role in this case.
Broader Implications and Ongoing Investigations
The encounter has exposed the operational network of gangs linked to Dasuwal and Afridi within Punjab. Security agencies are examining Noor's role as a field worker for these gangs, which are suspected of orchestrating violence from abroad.
The killing of Sarpanch Jarmal Singh sent shockwaves through the region. Eyewitnesses described the brazen attack where the assailants fired a bullet into his forehead. He collapsed onto the table and was later declared dead at a hospital.
The police action signifies a crackdown on the ground-level operatives executing the plans of foreign-based criminal elements. The investigation into both murder cases continues, with authorities piecing together the full extent of the conspiracies and hunting for other accomplices.
