Accused Harpal Singh Shoots at Cops during Arrest and Again during Recovery Drive
Key Points:
- Main accused Harpal Singh alias ‘W’ fired at police on two separate occasions
- Accused snatched a government pistol from an officer during recovery operation
- One accused shot in retaliatory action, now under treatment at MGM Hospital
JAMSHEDPUR — A chain-snatching suspect fired at a police team on two separate occasions, including once after snatching a government-issue pistol from an officer, Senior Superintendent of Police Piyush Pandey disclosed at a press conference on Tuesday.
The sequence of events began on Monday evening, when two motorcycle-borne men snatched a gold chain from a woman in the Telco police station area. All police stations in the city were put on alert immediately via wireless communication.
A patrolling team from Sidhgora police station spotted two youths whose appearance and motorcycle matched the description of the suspects. The team gave chase. Near the Sun Temple and the JAP-6 campus in Sidhgora, the police attempted to apprehend the two accused. At that point, the main accused, Harpal Singh alias ‘W’, opened fire on the police team. The officers exercised restraint, responded defensively, and managed to overpower and arrest both suspects.
However, the danger was not over. Later that night, police took the arrested duo out for a recovery operation to retrieve the snatched chain and other items. During this operation, Harpal Singh suddenly shoved a police officer, snatched his service pistol, and opened fire at the police team a second time. The sudden attack caused a commotion at the site.
SSP Piyush Pandey said the police team responded with alertness and courage, brought the situation under control, and kept both accused in safe custody. In the retaliatory fire by police personnel, one of the accused sustained a gunshot wound. He is currently undergoing treatment at MGM Hospital.
The SSP said the investigation was continuing. Police were also looking into the criminal records of the two accused and examining their possible involvement in other cases across Jamshedpur.
