‘Smuggler’ injured in firing by liquor trader’s men in Bathinda

BATHINDA: The injuring of a man in firing at a village in the district on Tuesday has brought into focus the vigilantism by liquor traders to check smuggling.

In exchange of firing between men of a liquor trader and alleged smugglers, Gurlal Singh, a resident of Bahadurgarh Jandian village of Muktsar, suffered a bullet injury in his leg.

Gurlal, along with Jagjit Singh of the same village, were allegedly smuggling liquor in a car. The car rammed into an electric pole at Chughe Khurd village and 35 boxes of smuggled liquor were recovered from it.

The Bathinda police have registered a case under Section 307 (attempt to murder) of IPC against both Gurlal and Jagjit, who has been arrested, while Gurlal is undergoing treatment at Bathinda civil hospital.

However, police on Wednesday recorded Gurlal’s statement wherein he alleged that Gurjit Singh, a resident of Muktsar allegedly working for a liquor trader, had fired at Chughe Khurd village.

Police sources said two cops of Muktsar police were already in the village before a team of Bathinda police reached the spot. They reportedly were also chasing the smugglers along with traders’ men.

Bathinda SSP Naveen Singla had on Tuesday said that a team of Muktsar police was also chasing smugglers along with traders.

However, SSP Muktsar Sushil Kumar denied this and said no cop from the district police had entered the Bathinda district chasing the smugglers.

“SHO Gidderbaha, along with the team, was chasing smugglers, but he stopped as soon as smugglers entered the Bathinda district. Traders might have been chasing smugglers further,” he said.