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Ludhiana: In a dramatic late-night operation, the Punjab Police engaged in a brief but intense encounter with members of the Rohit Godara gang in the Haibowal area of Ludhiana, leaving two gang members injured by gunfire and a third arrested unhurt.
Police said multiple rounds were fired from both sides after the accused attempted to break through a naka (checkpoint) and opened fire to escape. The exchange took place near Government School, Jassian, following specific intelligence inputs.
Weapons Recovered, Police Vehicle Hit
After securing the scene, police recovered two illegal .32-bore pistols, magazines, four live cartridges, and a black Splendour motorcycle without a registration number from the accused.
Bullets also struck an official police vehicle, and one round grazed the turban of Head Constable Pardeep Singh of Haibowal Police Station. Fortunately, no police personnel were injured.
The two injured accused—Sumit Kumar and Sanju—suffered four bullet injuries and were shifted to the Civil Hospital, Ludhiana, where their condition was stated to be critical. The third accused, Sumit alias Altron alias Tunda, was overpowered and arrested at the spot. All three are Ludhiana residents with a criminal history, including cases of attempt to murder and other heinous offences, police said.
Extortion Case Cracked
Addressing the media at the encounter site, Ludhiana Police Commissioner Swapan Sharma said the operation had successfully cracked the recent Haibowal firing case, in which miscreants had opened fire at the shutter of a closed readymade garments showroom.
On the intervening night of January 5 and 6, three bike-borne assailants fired at the showroom in Civil City, Haibowal. They later demanded ₹50 lakh as extortion, claiming to be associates of the Rohit Godara gang. The shop owner, Himanshu, had received the threat call from an overseas number, police said. As part of the ongoing investigation, police have also brought gangster Shubham Grover from Ferozepur Jail on a production warrant for questioning.
About the Rohit Godara Gang
Police said Rohit Godara, originally from Rajasthan, runs a multi-state criminal network with active footprints in Punjab and other parts of North India. His gang is accused of systematic extortion from business people, industrialists and builders, and is known for using social media to claim responsibility after high-profile crimes.
According to police records, members of the gang are armed with illegal weapons and have been involved in contract killings and organised extortion rackets. Further investigation is underway to establish forward and backward linkages of the arrested accused and to identify other members of the network operating in Punjab, police said.
