Machhiwara, Punjab: Police in Machhiwara have arrested a Punjabi youth deported from the United States in connection with a 2024 attempted murder case involving a school trustee, officials said.
The accused was taken into custody from Delhi after landing in India, as he had been on the radar of investigators following the issuance of a Look Out Circular (LOC). Authorities said he was wanted in a firing incident that took place on September 30, 2024.
According to police, the victim, Baldev Singh, a trustee of a reputed school in the Machhiwara area, was attacked while travelling from his school near Machhiwara Sahib to Chandigarh. The incident occurred near the Garhi bridge on the Sirhind canal, where unidentified assailants in a car opened fire at his vehicle, leaving him injured.
Station House Officer Pavittar Singh said that during the investigation, a case was registered against five individuals. Two of the accused — Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi and Pritpal Singh alias Gora — were arrested earlier and later revealed key details during interrogation.
Police said the attack was allegedly carried out on the instructions of gangsters operating from abroad and executed on a contract basis. Based on these disclosures, three more individuals were named in the case, including Kamalpreet Singh alias Billa, a resident of Kotla in Amritsar, who had illegally travelled to the United States.
Officials added that the accused is also suspected to be involved in an extortion conspiracy linked to the same network. Following his deportation, a police team from Machhiwara apprehended him at the airport in Delhi.
Further investigation is underway to determine his precise role in the attack and to identify other associates involved in the larger criminal network, police said.
