The firing on the SUV of Jaswant Singh Cheema, Sahnewal in-charge of Akali Dal Waris Punjab De, on the Doraha highway nearly five months ago was a staged attack, Khanna police said on Wednesday.The Doraha police station had registered a murder bid case in January, whereas the attack was orchestrated to implicate some people with whom Cheema had a property dispute, Khanna senior superintendent of police (SSP) Darpan Ahluwalia said.
An aide of Jaswant Singh Cheema, identified as Laddi Rathore of Ludhiana, has been arrested. A pistol used in the crime has been seized from his possession. Cheema, who hails from Sekhewal village, is on the run, officials said.
The SSP said the case was registered on January 25 after Cheema alleged that two unidentified motorcycle-borne assailants opened fire at his Toyota Innova near Gurthali bridge on the Doraha highway on the night of January 24. Cheema had named Guneet Bhatia and Chandan Bhanot, claiming they were behind the attack due to a financial dispute linked to a property deal. The SSP added that during investigation, police found glaring inconsistencies in the complaint. No empty shells, bullet marks or any physical evidence supporting the firing claim were recovered from the alleged crime scene. No eyewitnesses could confirm the incident either.
“The investigation took a dramatic turn after police examined CCTV footage from Doraha to Ludhiana and analysed mobile phone location records. Investigators found that before reaching Doraha, Cheema had stopped his vehicle at a deserted stretch near Ajnod village where his phone was switched off for some time,” said the SSP.
“Police’s suspicion deepened when call records pointed towards Cheema’s close aide, Laddi Rathore. Further investigation also revealed that Cheema had lodged a similar complaint in 2018 at Salem Tabri police station under nearly identical circumstances,” the SSP mentioned. Police now suspect that the 2018 firing case was also staged.
According to the police, Laddi Rathore confessed that he, Jaswant Cheema and their associates had cheated several persons in a fraudulent property deal involving crores of rupees. When the victims started demanding their money back, the duo allegedly planned a fake firing incident to frame them and gain leverage.
Superintendent of police (detective) Pawanjit Chaudhary said Laddi used his licensed .32-bore pistol to fire at Cheema’s Innova to make the attack appear genuine. The weapon, along with one live cartridge and one empty shell, has been recovered.
Additional charges under Sections 308(2), 318(4), 217, 248 and 61 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita have been added. A manhunt has been launched to arrest Cheema. Both are already facing trial in several criminal cases.
