Gangster injured in police shootout after looting SUV, dies

CHANDIGARH: A gangster, involved in 31 cases of heinous crime, died on Saturday afternoon after he was grievously injured in a shootout at midnight with the Haryana police in Chautala village of Sirsa district.


The shootout occurred when a police team intercepted Jagsir Singh and his accomplices, Lakhwinder Singh of Lakhewal village in Punjab’s Moga district and Sandesh Bishnoi of Sangaria in Rajasthan’s Hanumangarh district, after they had looted the SUV owned by JJP district president Ameer Chand Chawla’s son Karan late on Friday.

The Haryana police recovered two weapons, the looted SUV and the second vehicle the gangsters were using.

In his early 40s, Jagsir was involved in 31 cases of loot and murder in Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, New Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. He used to loot SUVs at gunpoint.

Karan was returning home when Jagsir, Lakhwinder and Sandesh intercepted him near PWD rest house by hitting his SUV with their vehicle. Jagsir and Lakhwinder stepped out and pointed a firearm at him and snatched his SUV.

The three gangsters, in two vehicles, then started driving towards Sangaria in Rajasthan. Soon after the incident, Karan alerted the police. A police team nabbed Sandesh Bishnoi when he was trying to drive out of the locality.

Another team of cops started chasing Jagsir and Lakhwinder, both of whom were in the looted SUV. “They were driving at a very high speed. They started firing once they saw a police check post near Chautala village on Sangaria road. The police team too fired in retaliation. The SUV, meanwhile, hit a tree. Before the police personnel could reach the vehicle, Lakhwinder managed to escape. Jagsir was seriously injured as he had bullet injuries in head. He was rushed to civil hospital and later referred to Maharaja Agrasen Medical College in Agroha,” Sirsa SP Arun Singh said.

Jagsir succumbed to his injuries on Saturday afternoon. “We have now requested a magisterial inquest. Once inquest is completed, we shall be able to confirm whether he died because of retaliatory fire or by his own weapon,” the SP added.