In a major breakthrough in the Bhamanwala murder case, Faridkot police on Sunday apprehended a key accused after an armed encounter near Beer Sikhawala village. The accused, identified as Chinki, is said to be a close associate of foreign-based gangster Gaurav alias Lucky Patial of the Davinder Bambiha gang.
According to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Dr Pragya Jain, Chinki was injured in the retaliatory fire by police and has been taken into custody. The police recovered a .32 bore pistol, two live cartridges, and the motorcycle used in the murder.
Chinki had earlier been arrested along with his accomplice Suraj Kumar from Sirsa, Haryana, on July 27. During a follow-up operation, police took him to recover the motorcycle used in the crime. However, he allegedly pulled out a hidden pistol from nearby bushes and opened fire on the police party. Officers responded swiftly, injuring him and bringing the situation under control.
A case has already been registered under Sections 103(1), 109, 61(2) of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Sections 25, 27, 54, and 59 of the Arms Act at City Police Station, Kotkapura.
The murder in question took place on July 22 in Bahaumanwala village, when three bike-borne assailants opened fire on a vehicle in a convoy returning from a religious function. Yadwinder Singh of Mohali, the driver, was killed on the spot. He was accompanying Jeewanjot Singh Chahal alias Jugnu, a controversial figure who has previously been named in the Sidhu Moosewala murder chargesheet.
Police sources confirm that the attack was primarily targeted at Chahal, who narrowly escaped after changing cars at the last moment. “I was initially seated in my car along with the driver, but my uncle requested I travel with him. I switched vehicles just before departure,” Chahal said in a statement. Moments later, assailants opened fire on the car he had just exited, fatally wounding the driver.
The ambush took place as Chahal was returning from the bhog ceremony of his grandfather at a local gurdwara. Police suspect the attack was orchestrated at the behest of gangster Lucky Patial.
This incident adds another chapter to Chahal’s controversial profile. In April, he was detained at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport after allegedly attempting to flee the country. He was held under a Look Out Circular (LoC) issued by Mansa Police in connection with the Sidhu Moosewala murder probe.
The Moosewala family had raised suspicions about Chahal after he shared a cryptic Facebook post on the morning of May 29, 2022—the day the singer was gunned down in Jawahar Ke village. The post, which read “Mansa ch ajj sham nu bahut wadda toofan aun wala hai” (A major storm is coming to Mansa this evening), was later deleted. Though the LoC was reportedly withdrawn later, the update hadn’t reflected in the airport immigration system, leading to Chahal’s brief detention.
Police investigations are ongoing, and efforts are on to track down other absconding suspects, including mastermind Lucky Patial.