Ludhiana industrialist hires man to kill wife’s ‘lover’
Balwinder gave ₹22,000 advance to 25yrold contract killer, a computer diploma holder, to buy a weapon for the job; police have recovered the revolver, motorbike used in crime
LUDHIANA: Police have booked a Ludhiana industrialist for hiring a contract killer to eliminate his wife’s ‘lover’. Balwinder of New Aman Nagar hired Gurminder for Rs 15 lakh to murder Mandeep Singh, an architect, whom he suspected of having an affair with his wife. Gurminder is in police net.
Police have booked Balwinder of New Aman Nagar, an industrialist, and arrested two more men for the murder of an architect Mandeep Singh, 30, in Dugri Phase 1, on Thursday morning. Balwinder had suspected his wife and Mandeep of having an affair two years ago; that issue was resolved, but he still remained suspicious. He is accused of hiring Gurwinder, 25, of New Aman Nagar, as a contract killer. Gurwinder, a computer diploma holder, was promised ₹15 lakh for the killing. He was to get married on October 14 (Sunday) and had been doing a recce of the victim’s house for six months. The weapon and the stolen motorcycle used in the crime have been recovered.
Police commissioner Sukhchain Singh Gill told reporters that Gurwinder was arrested from the Dugri area. Another accused, Aman Pal, who Balwinder, had hired for keeping a tab on Gurwinder, has also been arrested. “Aman was present near the spot, where Mandeep was shot dead. After the crime, Balwinder met Aman Pal near the Canal Bridge. He was handed over shells of six bullets, as proof that Gurwinder had gunned down the architect,” the commissioner said.
He added, “The motorcycle was stolen from Gurdwara Manji Sahib in Alamgir village on October 25. Gurwinder is seen in the CCTV footage. On Thursday too, he is seen in the footage, wearing the same clothes as he did on October 25,” the commissioner added.
“The accused pumped in six bullets in the back of Mandeep Singh from point-blank range on Friday, when the victim was present in an under-construction house in Dugri, Phase-1. He had parked the motorcycle near the Dugri Canal Bridge and hired a three-wheeler after crossing the bridge on foot,” he added. Police have registered a case under section 302 (murder) of the IPC against the three accused.
STOLEN REVOLVER USED IN CRIME
The police added that Gurwinder had stolen the revolver used in the crime from the house a local realtor, Jaspal Bangar. He had access as his mother worked there as a maid. For the past some time, he had been taking the licenced revolver from this house, unnoticed, and was using it to practice by firing at dummies. On Thursday too, he used this revolver and had even put it back.
For the crime, Balwinder and Gurwinder had bought bullets from a Ferozepur resident. After the crime, Gurwinder went to a relative’s house in Goraya and called Balwinder a number of times from his mother’s mobile for the promised money. On Friday, he was arrested from the Dugri Main Road, after he came to the city. He had been paid ₹22,000 so far.