Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday announced that the case of attack and murder involving cricketer Suresh Raina’s kin has been solved with the arrest of three members of an inter-state gang of robber- criminals. Eleven other accused are yet to be arrested, DGP Dinkar Gupta said, giving details of the arrests in the case which took place on the night of 19August in Tharyalvillage of PS Shahpurkandi, District Pathankot.
Raina’s uncle Ashok Kumar, a contractor, had died on the spot, while his son Kaushal Kumar succumbed to injuries on 31 August and wife Asha Rani is in hospital in critical condition. Two others injured in the attack had been discharged from hospital.
Soon after the incident, the Chief Minister had ordered the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under IGP Border Range Amritsar, with SSP Pathankot, SP Investigation and DSP Dhar Kalan as its members, to investigate the case thoroughly and expeditiously. The SIT, during investigation, gathered all the circumstantial and physical evidence related to the case. More than 100 suspected persons were joined in the investigation, according to the DGP.
On 15 September, the SIT received information that three suspects, who were seen at the Defence Road on the morn- ing after the incident, were staying in jhuggis near the Pathankot railway station. A raid was conducted and all three were nabbed, DGP said.
According to the DGP, a gold ring bearing AK, one ladies ring, one ladies gold chain and Rs 1,530 were recovered, along with two wooden sticks, were recovered from the arrested accused, identified as Sawan@Matching, Muhobbat and Shahrukh Khan, currently residents of Chirawa and Pilanijhuggis, Jhunjhunu district, Rajasthan.
Gupta further said that initial investigation has revealed that they were operating as a gang, along with others, and had committed several such crimes earlier in Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and various parts of Punjab, moving to the crime spots in groups of 2-3 following natural landmarks like canals, railway lines, high voltage electricity wires etc.Further investigation is in progress to arrest the 11 others.