Punjab Police’s son ‘shoots’ at cop during videographed weapon recovery; shot in leg

A pistol hidden in the forest, a sudden bid to flee, and a shot that struck a police officer’s bulletproof jacket — the investigation into the murder of a 17-year-old Class XI student took a dramatic turn on Saturday morning when the main accused allegedly opened fire at a police team during a weapon-recovery operation in Chandigarh’s Sector 50 forest area. The accused was shot in the leg during the retaliatory firing.

The encounter unfolded when the Chandigarh Police’s Operations Cell team took the accused, Manmehar Preet Singh (25), alias Mann, and his brother, Arsh Mehar (21), to the spot for recovery of weapons allegedly linked to the murder of Naitik Khandelwal, a Class XI student. Both brothers were arrested on Friday. They are sons of a serving Punjab Police officer with the intelligence wing.

The operation, which was required to be videographed as part of the recovery procedure, took a dangerous turn when Mann allegedly attempted to flee and pulled out another weapon concealed ahead of the recovery spot.

“We were conducting the weapon-recovery process, which had to be videographed, and were recovering one weapon at the instance of Arsh when Mann suddenly rushed to flee. When we told him to stop, he moved ahead, took out another weapon he had concealed and opened fire, hitting our ASI. Thankfully, the bullet struck his bulletproof jacket and he escaped unhurt. Our team retaliated and Mann sustained a bullet injury in the leg,” Inspector Harinder Singh Sekhon, who led the operation. said.

The police team retaliated, firing two rounds, while Mann allegedly fired one shot, according to Sekhon. Mann was overpowered and taken for medical treatment.

Chandigarh SSP Kanwardeep Kaur confirmed to The Indian Express that the incident took place when the two accused were taken to the area where the weapon had been concealed.

“The operation was carried out by the Operations Cell,” she said.

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Instagram post that led to fatal shooting

The investigation has pointed towards an earlier dispute between Naitik, who was shot dead near on Thursday night, and a juvenile accused. Police suspect the killing was a culmination of an old rivalry, with a video of a fight between the two that had circulated on Instagram emerging as a possible trigger for the violence.

Investigators are examining whether the murder was planned as retaliation, how the alleged shooters were brought into the picture, and whether the attack was linked to a wider criminal network.

Police are now working to establish the full chain of events behind the killing of the Class XI student.

Wider gang network under probe

Police are investigating whether the killing of the teenager was the outcome of an old rivalry that drew in men allegedly connected to criminal networks operating across Punjab.

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“The two accused are suspected to be involved in shootings in Punjab and their links with the networks of Lawrence Bishnoi and Lucky Patial gangs are being investigated. They were allegedly approached by a juvenile, who has been sent to a juvenile home in connection with the case,” Sekhon said.

Police are probing how the accused were allegedly contacted and what role the suspected gang links may have played in Naitik’s killing. Their alleged involvement in previous shootings in Punjab is also being examined.