Ludhiana Encounter: Started from theft 19 years back, neutralised criminal wanted in 24 criminal cases

Chandigarh, December 14, 2023: A day after notorious criminal Sukhdev Singh alias Vicky was neutralised in a police encounter in Ludhiana, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP Ludhiana Rural) Jaskiranjit Singh Teja has been constituted to investigate backward and forward linkages of the deceased criminal, said Inspector General of Police (IGP) Headquarters Sukhchain Singh Gill here on Thursday. The SIT also comprises Additional DCP Zone 4 Tushar Gupta, Additional DCP (D) Rupinder Kaur Sran and SHO Division No 7 Sukhdev Singh as its members.

The IGP Headquarters accompanied by the Commissioner of Police (CP) Ludhiana Kuldeep Singh Chahal, while addressing a press conference at PPHQ here said that the deceased criminal had stepped into the world of crime 19 years back, when he had committed a petty crime of theft in 2004, and over the period, he started committing heinous crimes. “Presently, deceased Sukhdev Vicky was wanted in at least 24 criminal cases mostly of Attempt to Murder, Robbery, Theft, Snatching, Extortion, NDPS cases, etc,” he said.

As per the information, deceased criminal Sukhdev Singh alias Vicky of Machhiwara in Ludhiana was neutralised during an encounter with the Police, which took place near Kohara Machiwara Road in village Panjeta, Ludhiana on Wednesday evening. Three of his associates identified as UP-based Aryan Singh alias Raja (21), currently residing in Moti Nagar in Ludhiana, Sunil Kumar (21) of Khushi Nagar in UP and Balwinder Singh (27) of Machhiwara were already arrested by the Ludhiana Commissionerate Police.

During the encounter, one police personnel ASI Daljit Singh also sustained a gunshot injury during the cross-fire, while, Incharge CIA-2 Ludhiana Insp Beant Singh Juneja, who was leading the operation, had a narrow escape after a bullet hit his bullet-proof jacket near his chest. 

The police have registered FIR No.146 dated 13.12.2023 under sections 307, 353, 333, 332 and 186 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and sections 25 and 27 of the Arms Act at Police Station Koom Kalan in Ludhiana based on the statement of Inspector Beant Juneja. 

IGP Sukhchain Singh Gill said that Police teams have also recovered one .32 bore Pistol along with a magazine, one live cartridge and three empty cartridges from the possession of the deceased criminal, and also impounded his Black Splendour Motorcycle, on which he was travelling.

Reiterating the commitment of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to make Punjab a safe and secure state, the IGP said that Punjab Police has been making sincere efforts to eradicate gangsters, anti-social elements and drug smugglers from the state and no one will be allowed to disturb the hard-earned peace and harmony of the state.

Meanwhile, since the formation of the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) on April 6, 2022, the special force along with the field units of Punjab Police has succeeded in busting 293 gangster/criminal modules after arresting 906 gangsters/criminals and neutralising nine, after recovering 921 weapons, 197 vehicles used in criminal activities.

INVOLVEMENT OF DECEASED SUKHDEV VICKY IN RECENT CRIMES

December 8, 2023: Accused Sukhdev Vicky along with his accomplice forcibly entered a Medical Store in the Jamalpur area and robbed Rs 1.25 Lakh, 2 mobile phones and one laptop from the owner of the store at Gunpoint and the accused also inflicted a bullet injury on the complainant

December 10, 2023: Accused Sukhdev Vicky along with his three accomplices was on a brazen crime spree involving 5 incidents in less than 2 hours, which included a bike snatching, 4 armed robberies at a money exchanger, a general store, a kirana store and a liquor vend and shot one person.