Hoshiarpur, Sep 23 Three people have been arrested in connection with the murder of a 60-year-old cement trader in Punjab’s Hoshiarpur, police said on Wednesday.
Gulzar Singh was stabbed to death inside his cement shop in Tanda town on September 14, they said.
Tanda Deputy Superintendent of Police Davinder Singh Bajwa said preliminary investigation revealed that Gulzar was allegedly targeted to avenge the 1980 murder of Jaidev Singh, the brother of Jagjit Singh, a Tanda resident currently living in the US.
Gulzar Singh’s father, Prahlad Singh, had been convicted in the murder of Jaidev Singh and sentenced to life imprisonment in 1981, police said.
Police said the alleged conspiracy was hatched by Jagjit Singh.
During the investigation, police arrested three accused — Karan alias Bhicha and Sahib Singh, both from Amritsar district, and Tejinder Singh alias Bittu of Gurala village in Hoshiarpur district, the DSP said.
The DSP said police investigation indicated that Jagjit Singh allegedly contacted Tejinder Singh and expressed his desire to avenge the murder of his brother.
Tejinder allegedly contacted Jatinder Singh alias Ladda of Amritsar district, who allegedly arranged other persons to carry out the killing for money, police said.
According to police, Jagjit Singh sent money from the US to Tejinder Singh, who passed it on to Ladda for executing the killing.
Police said the accused conducted a recce of Gulzar before arriving at his shop on motorcycles on September 14 and attacking him with a sharp-edged weapon.
While fleeing after the murder, the accused allegedly met with an accident, in which Ladda was injured and later admitted to a hospital in Amritsar, police said.
Tejinder was allegedly involved in conducting the recce of Gulzar Singh, the DSP said.
Sahib Singh was arrested on September 21, while Karan alias Bhicha and Tejinder Singh were arrested during the subsequent investigation, police said.
The role of Jagjit Singh, who is currently in the US, and other aspects of the alleged conspiracy are being investigated, the DSP said.
Police said further investigation is underway and action will be taken on the basis of evidence gathered.
(PTI News)
