Dreaded gangster Dilpreet Singh Baba nabbed after a dramatic chase

Amit Sharma & Jupinderjit Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 9

The Punjab Police on Monday claimed it had arrested Category-A gangster Dilpreet Singh, on the run for more than two years, in a joint operation with the Chandigarh Police at the Sector 43 ISBT after a dramatic chase and an encounter. 

Wanted in 25 cases, the police said the gangster was an addict who ran a syndicate of drug smugglers. It also claimed to have recovered 

1 kg of heroin from the residence of his woman accomplice in Nawanshahr. 

The gangster was wanted for the murderous assault on well-known singer Parmish Verma earlier this year from whom he had demanded a ransom of Rs 10 lakh. He had made an extortion call to popular singer-actor Gippy Grewal too. Also, he had shot dead a sarpanch in Chandigarh on April 9 last year.

Dilpreet would shoot his victims in their legs, perhaps with the intent to terrify them. He had escaped while being taken back to jail from a Ropar court in May 2016.

Dinkar Gupta, DGP-Intelligence, said the operation was led by Jalandhar-Rural SSP

Gurpreet Singh Bhullar and officers of the Organised Crime Control Unit of the Intelligence Department. Bhullar said the Punjab Police had information that Dilpreet would be arriving at the ISBT at noon. They intimated the Chandigarh Police.

The gangster, who was in disguise, was leaving the ISBT in a white Swift Dezire when he was signalled to stop, but he speeded away. Inspector Amanjot Singh of the Chandigarh Police Crime Branch rammed his Toyota Fortuner into Dilpreet’s car from the rear even as a Punjab Police team hurled a stone, smashing the car’s front windscreen.

Trying to flee, a desperate Dilpreet fired two shots from a .30-bore pistol. In retaliation, a Punjab Police DSP fired a bullet that hit Dilpreet in the thigh, following which he was nabbed.

The police found a .30-bore rifle with 60 live cartridges, a .12-bore pump action shotgun and fake beard in his car.