Punjab's Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) arrested the main accused involved in the firing at a jewellery showroom in Jagraon after an encounter near Sadarpur village in Ludhiana, Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said on Sunday.

The accused, identified as Krishan from Basti Mansian Wali in Zira, Ferozepur, is an operative of the foreign-based gangster Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh Dala. Police teams have also recovered a .32 caliber pistol along with two cartridges from his possession, he said.

Two bike-borne individuals had opened fire at the Ladoo Lekhe Wale jewellery showroom in Jagraon on March 5 to intimidate the owner, who had also received an extortion call from gangster Arsh Dala, police said.  In this regard, a case was registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Arms Act at Police Station City Jagraon, Ludhiana Rural.

DGP Gaurav Yadav said that the arrested accused, Krishan, opened fire at the jewellery showroom in Jagraon on the directions of his foreign-based handler, Arsh Dala. Further investigations are underway to establish both backward and forward linkages in this case, he added.

Sharing operational details, Additional DGP AGTF, Promod Ban, said that following intelligence and human-based inputs, police teams tracked accused Krishan in the area of Village Sadarpur, under the jurisdiction of Police Station Sidhwan Bet, Ludhiana Rural. Teams of AGTF, under the supervision of Additional IG Sandeep Goel and Deputy Superintendent of Police Rajan Parminder Singh, in a joint operation with Ludhiana Rural Police, intercepted the accused Krishan at Sadarpur village.

However, he opened fire at the police team in an attempt to evade arrest, prompting the police teams to retaliate in self-defense. "During the exchange of fire, accused Krishan sustained a bullet injury to his right leg. He was admitted to the local Civil Hospital for medical treatment and is said to be in stable condition," said the ADGP.