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Ludhiana, The Khanna and Ludhiana police went on high alert last night after a car mechanic, who runs a shop in Sahni village near Sahnewal, claimed to have spotted a car full of ammunition.
He said that incident took place around 9 pm last night when the alleged armed men — three in number — were stuck up near a gurdwara in Ramgarh village due to a tyre puncture.
The mechanic said one of the alleged terrorists took him to Ramgarh village on a bike for fixing the car tyre.
While the biker was busy talking with his accomplices, the mechanic decided to put the jack in the boot of the car. It was then that he spotted the ammunition lying in the car.
Sources said that the alleged terrorists panicked and opened fire at the mechanic, but he managed to escape through the field and took shelter in the village gurdwara.
The mechanic raised the alarm and narrated the incident to gurdwara manager Jagtar Singh. The manager then informed the police.
In the meantime, the alleged terrorists fled the scene. The incident has caused panic in the area following which the Khanna and Ludhiana police sounded a high alert.
Gurdwara manager Jagtar Singh and the mechanic were questioned about the incident. The Khanna police have launched a major combing operation in the area this morning, but without any success so far.
Both the mechanic and manager of the gurdwara refused to interact with the media after police questioning.
Police commissioner Paramraj Singh Umranangal said, “We are leaving nothing to chance. As a precautionary measure, we have put security on high alert. We request the residents not to panic and not to fall in the trap of rumour mongers.”
DIG, Ludhiana range, said that prima facie, the case appears doubtful. However, a case has been registered and the investigation was on.
The police have seized the record of the nearby mobile tower. A police team was also looking at the footage of the CCTV camera installed at the nearby toll plaza on Neelo Road.
“We have neither found any empty shells nor have the farmers working in the nearby farms corroborated the mechanic’s story. Tyre marks were not found at the place where the mechanic had reportedly fixed the deflated tyre,” said Gurpreet Singh Gill, SSP Khanna.
Meanwhile, the police have closed the gates of residential colonies housing the police officers and put up bunkers.
