Two gangsters of the Landa gang were arrested after a shootout on the outskirts of a village in Jalandhar district and seven weapons along with six magazines and cartridges each were recovered from their possession, Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said here on Friday.
Those arrested have been identified as Jaskaran and Fatehdeep Singh.
Both the accused were apprehended in connection with a case registered at the Police Station (Sadar) in Jalandhar.
DGP Yadav said following an intelligence input about the presence of criminals associated with the Landa gang in the area of Jalandhar Police Commissionerate, teams under the supervision of Commissioner of Police Swapan Sharma launched an extensive operation and traced their location near Pholriwal village.
During the high-stakes chase, the gangsters opened fire on police teams, prompting them to retaliate, he said, while adding that during the exchange of fire, both the accused persons as well as two police officers suffered bullet injuries.
"Over 50 shots were fired at both the sides during the operation," said DGP Yadav.
Sharing more details, Sharma said that arrested individuals were involved in numerous heinous crimes including extortion, murder and attempt to murder. The accused were also instrumental in providing logistical support to other gang members and supplying weapons to criminal outfits, he added.
The Commissioner of Police said that preliminary investigations have revealed both gangsters were directly in touch with Landa and were hatching a conspiracy to eliminate two people belonging to their rival gang.
He said that injured gangsters and police officers have been undergoing medical treatment at a local hospital. Further investigations are underway to uncover their network and possible linkages to other criminal groups, he added.
(With inputs from IANS)
