A man accused in a firing case was injured in an exchange of fire with Punjab Police in Jalandhar on Tuesday after he allegedly opened fire on a police team attempting to arrest him and recover an illegal weapon, officials said.
The encounter took place around 1.30 pm in the Jamsher Khas area of Jalandhar Cantonment. Police said the accused sustained a bullet injury to his leg during retaliatory firing and was shifted to the Civil Hospital in Jalandhar for treatment. His condition was stated to be stable.
According to police, the accused, identified as Shyam Das, was wanted in connection with a firing incident reported on Garha Road. Acting on specific intelligence about his presence in the area, a police team surrounded him and asked him to surrender. Officials alleged that instead of complying, he opened fire on the police personnel, prompting them to respond in self-defence.
During the subsequent investigation, police said Shyam Das had earlier disclosed that he had concealed a firearm at a particular location. A team escorted him to recover the weapon, but officials alleged that he attempted to mislead them by pointing towards a different spot. As officers’ attention shifted, he allegedly broke free, rushed to the actual location where the weapon had been hidden and fired two rounds at the police party.
Police said an Assistant Sub-Inspector immediately retaliated with his service revolver to neutralise the threat. One bullet struck the accused in the leg, following which he was overpowered and taken into custody.
Investigators said Shyam Das, a native of Darbhanga in Bihar who had been residing in Jalandhar, was arrested on July 4 under the NDPS Act in connection with a narcotics trafficking case. During questioning, his alleged involvement in another criminal case also came to light.
According to police, he was also wanted in an attempted murder case registered under Section 307, in which he and an associate, identified as Sahil, allegedly fired at a relative, Amarjeet, in the Garha area before absconding.
Officials further claimed that the accused was part of an interstate narcotics network and had been sourcing cannabis from Bihar for distribution in Punjab. They alleged that he carried illegal firearms to protect his operations and establish dominance within the drug trade. Police said efforts are underway to trace the origin of the recovered weapon and identify others linked to the network, with assistance being sought from Bihar Police regarding his criminal background.
Forensic experts have been called to examine the recovered weapon, spent cartridges and other evidence collected from the encounter site. Police said additional charges relating to the alleged attack on the police team would be added after the accused is discharged from hospital.
Reiterating Punjab Police’s campaign against organised crime and narcotics, officials said they were acting on the directions of the Director General of Police and the Jalandhar Police Commissioner to take stringent action against drug traffickers and those involved in violent offences.