Punjab Police Nab Shooters in Property Dealer Murder Case After Gun Battle

4 Minutes Read

March 19, 2026 22:53 IST

Following a deadly shooting, Punjab Police have apprehended two shooters linked to the Bambiha gang in connection with the Chandigarh property dealer murder case, showcasing a swift and coordinated law enforcement response.

Photograph: ANI Photo

Photograph: ANI Photo

Key Points

  • Two shooters, Rajan alias Piyush Pehalwan and Pritam Shah, were arrested in connection with the murder of a property dealer in Chandigarh.
  • The shooters are allegedly associated with fugitive gangster Lucky Patial of the Bambiha gang.
  • The arrest followed a joint operation by Punjab and Haryana Police, involving an exchange of fire in Kaithal, Haryana.
  • Police recovered multiple weapons from the accused, including pistols and ammunition.
  • The shooters were traced and apprehended within 30 hours of the murder, highlighting the swift response of the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF).

In a joint operation of the Punjab Police and the Special Task Force of Haryana Police, two shooters allegedly involved in the murder of a property dealer here were nabbed following an exchange of fire in Haryana's Kaithal on Thursday, officials said.

The property dealer, Charanpreet Singh (31), a resident of the Mullanpur area in Mohali district, was shot dead in Sector 9 in Chandigarh on Wednesday. The shooters, who arrived on a motorcycle, fled after the crime.

 

The two accused -- Rajan alias Piyush Pehalwan of Ferozepur and Pritam Shah from Nawanshahr-- are the key associates of fugitive gangster Lucky Patial of the Bambiha gang, the officials said.

Based on human and technical intelligence, the team of Punjab Police's Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) traced the accused to Kaithal, said a Punjab Police official.

Piyush came from Malaysia via Nepal to execute the killing on the directions of his foreign-based handler, said Additional Director General of Police, AGTF, Promod Ban.

When the team tried to nab the accused, they opened fire at the police personnel led by AGTF Superintendent of Police Bikramjit Singh Brar.

The AGTF team retaliated and the two accused sustained bullet injuries. They were taken to the hospital, the official said.

The police recovered three weapons -- a .30 bore PX-5 pistol, a .30 caliber Chinese pistol and a .32 caliber pistol -- along with ammunition and a motorcycle from the accused.

Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said the accused are the key associates of fugitive gangster Lucky Patial of the Bambiha gang.

Preliminary investigation also revealed that Rajan alias Piyush Pehalwan was also wanted in the high-profile murder of Yadwinder Singh, driver of Jiwanjot Singh alias Jugnu, he said.

The DGP said that AGTF Punjab unmasked the entire module and arrested the accused in less than 30 hours. Further investigations are ongoing, he added.

Sharing operational details, ADGP, AGTF Ban said following the Chandigarh murder incident, they promptly launched a special operation 'Silent Trigger' under the supervision of Deputy Inspector General, AGTF, Gurmit Singh Chauhan to arrest the accused persons involved in this case.

Details of the Shooting

Charanpreet Singh was shot dead in an upscale market of Chandigarh when he had gone to a gym.

When Singh was exiting the parking area in his SUV, one of the assailants opened fire at him. After being shot, he tried to escape by opening the door of his SUV, but the assailant came to his side and fired at him again from close range, according to the police.

The victim sustained multiple gunshot wounds. He was taken to a hospital where doctors declared him dead.

Later, an unverified post appeared on social media in which gangster Lucky Patial claimed responsibility for the murder and accused Singh of passing information about the gang to its rivals.

Earlier in the day, Singh's family refused to cremate him until the shooters were apprehended.