Amritsar
Wanted for an armed robbery at a money changer shop in Batala, a criminal was arrested following a police encounter in Amritsar on Wednesday.

​The accused, Akashdeep Singh, alias Akash, is a resident of Qadian village in Gurdaspur’s Batala police district. Police said Akash was named in seven criminal cases across various police stations and was actively wanted for a robbery case.

​According to initial investigations, Akash and his four accomplices had recently looted around ₹2.5 lakh at gunpoint from a money changer shop in Batala.

Acting on intelligence inputs, police cornered Akash on Wednesday. However, he refused to surrender and opened direct fire on the police team. Acting in self-defence, police returned fire, injuring the fugitive in the leg. He was immediately rushed to a hospital for medical treatment, said Amritsar police commissioner Harmanbir Singh Gill.

​Police recovered a .30-bore pistol, two spent cartridges, three live rounds and a Honda Activa scooter bearing an Amritsar registration number from the spot. Authorities are investigating how the vehicle was acquired

​Investigators revealed that the gang was hatching a plot to rescue dreaded gangster Angrej Singh, alias Chhotu, from police custody. Angrej, who faces around 15 criminal cases and is named in the Kot Khalsa murder case, is currently lodged in jail.