In a yet another major breakthrough amidst the ongoing fight against organised crime launched on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Punjab Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) in a joint operation with Faridkot Police apprehended an absconding operative of foreign based gangster Gaurav alias Lucky Patial and Davinder Bambiha gang after brief exchange of fire at Faridkot, said DGP Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Friday.
The arrested accused has been identified as Manpreet Singh alias Mani, a native of Talwandi Bhagrian in Moga. Police teams have recovered .30 calibre pistol along with four live cartridges, besides, impounding a motorcycle, which the accused was riding.Police teams have also arrested two accomplices of accused Manpreet alias Manni— identified as Jagmeet Singh alias Meeta of Chania in Faridkot and Akashdeep Singh of Mehma of Ferozepur— for providing him shelter and logistic support.
The development came close on the heels of Punjab Police arresting Manpreet Mani’s co-accused Malkit Singh alias Manu from Moga after recovering one .32 caliber pistol along with four cartridges from his possession on Wednesday.
DGP Gaurav Yadav said that accused Malkit Manu along with Manpreet alias Mani executed an attack on his rival in village Kapura in Moga resulting in a murder of one individual and a woman sustaining a bullet injury on her leg on February 19, 2025.
Both the arrested accused persons are also involved in a firing incident took place at Raja Dhaba in Jagraon on February 26, 2025, which was orchestrated by foreign based gangster Lucky Patial, he added. The DGP said that further investigations are on establish backward and forward linkages in this case.
Sharing operational details, ADGP AGTF Promod Ban said that following the arrest of Malkit alias Mannu, AGTF teams gathered clues from his interrogation and with Human/Tech inputs zeroed-in his accomplice Manpreet Mani in Faridkot area.
Teams of AGTF in the supervision of AIG Gurmeet Singh Chauhan and DSP Bikramjit Brar led by SI Hardavinder Singh in joint operation with Faridkot Police tracked down accused Manpreet Mani near Dhilwan road in Faridkot while he was travelling on a motorcycle, he said, while adding that when police teams intercepted him, he opened fire at the police team in an attempt to evade arrest, prompting the police teams to retaliate.
“During the exchange of fire accused Mani sustained bullet injury on his left leg. The latter was admitted to the local Civil Hospital for medical treatment,” said the ADGP, while adding that police teams have recovered a .30 calibre pistol from his possession. AIG Gurmeet Chauhan said that the arrested accused has a criminal record with around six cases related to murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping and snatching registered against him.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Dr Pragiya Jain disclosed that preliminary investigations revealed ever since coming out on bail from Faridkot Jail on January 24, 2025, Manpreet alias Mani was operating for Lucky Patial and other handlers of Davinder Bambiha gang who tasked him to carry out various crimes in Punjab.
Further investigation is ongoing to establish backward and forward linkages in this case, she added.A fresh case FIR no 20, dated 14/03/2025 has been registered under sections 109 (1), 132 and 221 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 25 of Arms Act at Police Station Sadiq, Faridkot.