The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday, announced a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh each for information leading to the capture of two wanted individuals connected to the murder of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Vikas Prabhakar in Punjab. Harjit Singh, also known as Laddi, son of Kuldip Singh from Garpadhana village in Nawanshahr, Punjab, and Kulbeer Singh, also known as Sidhu, son of Sukhvinder Singh from Yamuna Nagar, Police Station Sadar Jagadhari, Haryana, are fugitives in the case registered on May 9 this year, according to an NIA statement.
Prabhakar was shot dead by two unidentified motorcycle riders at his shop in Nangal town, Rupnagar district, Punjab, on April 13, 2024. The assailants entered Bagga’s confectionery shop near the Rupnagar railway station, opened fire, and fled the scene. The NIA assured that the identities of informants will be kept confidential for their protection and also shared photos of the suspects.
Previously, on April 16, the Rupnagar Police, along with the state special operating cell (SSOC) in Mohali, arrested two operatives with Pakistani backing in connection with this high-profile murder. The Punjab police claimed to have solved the murder case within three days. “In a major breakthrough, Rupnagar Police, in a joint operation with SSOC #Mohali, has solved the Vikas Prabhakar Murder Case in less than three days with the arrest of 2 operatives of a terror module backed by #Pakistan-based terrorist masterminds,” the Punjab Police posted on the social media platform X.
The two suspects were apprehended on April 16 with two weapons—32 bore pistols, 16 live cartridges, one spent cartridge, and a TVS Jupiter scooter used in the crime. Preliminary investigations revealed that the terror module was operated and funded by foreign-based handlers from Portugal and other locations, according to the police.