In a joint operation, the Punjab Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) and Haryana Special Task Force (STF) on Thursday arrested the two shooters involved in the March 18 murder of property dealer Charanpreet Singh in Chandigarh following an encounter in Kaithal.
The suspects, identified as Rajan, alias Piyush Pehalwan, of Ferozepur and Pritam Shah of Nawanshahr, opened fire on the police teams when they were intercepted in Haryana’s Kaithal on Thursday. In the retaliatory exchange, both accused sustained injuries and were shifted to a hospital.
The AGTF had launched ‘Ops Silent Trigger’ after the brazen daylight shooting in the high-security Sector 9 of Chandigarh to unmask the module, which is linked to fugitive gangster Lucky Patial of the Davinder Bambiha gang.
Mapping escape, criminal links
Before the encounter, Chandigarh Police had used CCTV footage to map the shooters’ escape route. The duo was captured crossing Attawa Chowk in Sector 42 at 12.33pm, less than 20 minutes after the murder on Madhya Marg. They abandoned a motorcycle with a counterfeit registration plate in Mohali before fleeing toward Haryana.
Investigation revealed that the accused, Rajan, was already wanted in the July 2025 murder of Yadwinder Singh in Kotkapura.
The Sector 9 hit is reportedly the outcome of gang rivalry. The Lucky Patial group claimed responsibility on social media, alleging Charanpreet acted as an informer in the murder of Gurvinder Singh at the Mohali judicial complex on January 28.
Module unmasked within 24 hours
AGTF superintendent of police Bikramjit Singh Brar confirmed that the entire module was unmasked and the primary shooters arrested within 24 hours of the crime.
While the investigation initially focused on the abandoned vehicle and DNA evidence in Mohali, the coordinated intelligence between Punjab and Haryana shifted the pursuit to Kaithal.
The Lucky Patial gang, an affiliate of the Davinder Bambiha syndicate, asserts the killing was a retaliation for Charanpreet’s alleged involvement with rival groups. Police are now investigating the local logistical support that provided the shooters with the counterfeit plates and weapons used in the Chandigarh crime.
