In an intelligence-led operation carried out under the ongoing drive to make Punjab a safe and secure state as per the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Counter Intelligence (CI) Pathankot successfully foiled a target killing attempt by busting an organised crime module involved in multiple heinous crimes.
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The arrested accused have been identified as Vishal Masih alias Dana, a resident of Pakhoke Tahli in Batala, and Vishal William, a resident of village Pakhoke Mehmaran in Gurdaspur, along with two juveniles.
They were apprehended from the area of village Salimpur Afghana in Gurdaspur. Police also recovered two .30 bore star-mark pistols and six live cartridges from their possession.
DGP Yadav said that preliminary investigations revealed the accused were working at the behest of foreign-based gangsters Nishan Singh, Shamsher Singh alias Shera Mann alias Honey, and Sajan Masih alias Goru. Important leads regarding other criminal activities across the state have also surfaced during the probe, he added.
AIG CI Pathankot Sukhminder Singh Mann disclosed that one of the arrested juveniles is the first cousin of gangster Sajan Masih and was responsible for transporting weapons and explosives on his behalf.
Notably, Sajan Masih, an absconder, is wanted in an attempt to murder and an Arms Act case registered at Police Station Dera Baba Nanak in September 2023. He had spent about two months in Gurdaspur Jail after his arrest and later fled abroad after securing bail.
The investigation has further revealed that one of the arrested juveniles had conducted a recce of Hardeep Singh, who was subsequently murdered in Dera Baba Nanak in January 2024. The juvenile was sent to a juvenile home but resumed criminal activities soon after his release.
On August 14, 2025, accused Vishal Masih along with a juvenile travelled to Tanda, Hoshiarpur, and opened fire on a property dealer, causing injuries. This attack too was carried out at the behest of their foreign-based handlers.
The AIG further said that Vishal Masih and one juvenile had also conducted a recce of a Banga-based person on Sajan Masih’s instructions and were en route to execute the killing when the CI Pathankot team apprehended them.
Further investigations are underway to establish backward and forward linkages in this case, he added, while indicating that more arrests and recoveries are likely in the coming days.
In this regard, an FIR No. 47 dated 25.08.2025 has been registered under Section 25 of the Arms Act and Section 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Police Station SSOC Amritsar.