Police on Gounder’s trail after his phone location traced to Gurdaspur village
GURDASPUR: The police have launched a hunt for wanted gangster Harjinder Singh alias Vicky Gounder after the location of his mobile phone was traced around Pindori village, 9 km from here, on Thursday evening.
Gounder, who had fled the Nabha high-security jail in November last year, has remained elusive ever since. Among six criminals who were freed by their armed associates from the jail, Gounder is the only one who was not been rearrested. Thereafter, he allegedly murdered three men in Gurdaspur in April this year as they belonged to a rival gang.
CID sources said around 500 police personnel were pressed into service about 6.30pm immediately after Gounder’s phone location was traced, and the entire area around Pindori village was cordoned off.
The cops ordered the residents of the village to stay inside their houses until the police operation was over.
When contacted, Gurdaspur senior superintendent of police (SSP) HS Bhullar said the manhunt for Gounder was on till late Thursday night in the area around Pindori.
Gounder, who hails from Muktsar, originally belonged to a gang formed by another history-sheeter, Jaipal Singh of Ferozepur. Gounder is wanted in at least 15 cases of murder, kidnapping and robbery.
He has been on the run after killing Harpreet Singh alias Subedar, Sukhchain Singh alias Jatt and Sahib Singh at the Aujala by-pass on the Kahnuwan Road in Gurdaspur on April 20.
Subedar was coming along with his associates in a car from the Gurdaspur side after his appearance in a local court when they were assaulted by Gounder and his four accomplices, who came in a car from the opposite side. The other two occupants of car, Inderbir Singh of Nawan Pind Jhawar and Daman Mahajan of Gurdaspur, had managed to escape by running out of the car.
GOUNDER, WHO HAD FLED THE NABHA HIGHSECURITY JAIL IN NOVEMBER LAST YEAR, HAS REMAINED ELUSIVE EVER SINCE; HE IS WANTED IN AT LEAST 15 CASES OF MURDER AND KIDNAPPING