Rinkle murder case cracked, 3 contract killers held

Jalandhar, Sep 13: The counter-intelligence wing of the Punjab Police on Wednesday claimed to have arrested three alleged contract killers in connection with Ludhiana's infamous Rinkle murder case.

Police also recovered two sophisticated illegal pistols along with live cartridges and two cars used in the crime, Counter-Intelligence Wing's Assistant Inspector General, HPS Khakh, said in an official release.

The accused, who belong to Doaba's Sheru gang, were identified as Gurmeet Singh (36), Manmeet Singh (26) and Bhupinder Singh (34).

Jagdeep Singh Rinkle (22) was beaten to death at his house in Ludhiana on July 20. Khakh said Sheru's gang, led by Satnam Singh, along with Bhupinder, Gurmeet, Manmeet, Monu Kaul and Gurpreet Singh, was allegedly involved in the contract killings and robberies.

Police said they had the information that the accused were conspiring to target an agency for loot purpose and moving towards Bhogpur town in a white car from Tanda town of Hoshiarpur.

The officer said the information was timely-shared with Navjot Singh Mahal, SSP, Jalandhar (rural), and a joint team of the counter-intelligence wing and SHO Bhogpur was formed to nab the gangsters on Tuesday.

Three members of the gang were arrested, while other managed to flee away from the spot, police said. Apart from the weapons, police also recovered a car which was used in the murder

Khakh informed that Jatinder Pal Singh Sunny, son of the Ludhiana municipal councillor, had allegedly hired these gangsters for the murder of Rinkle. Sunny had surrendered before the police two days after Rinkle's murder.

Giving the details of the case, Khakh said the murder was committed to settle personal rivalry. He said Sunny, who was in good terms with gang head Sukhi Dherowalia, had struck a deal with him to eliminate Rinkle, he added.

"Following the deal, Sukhi and his accomplices Bhupinder, Gurmeet, Manmeet, Monu Kaul and Gurpreet Singh, Vishal, Deepu reached Ludhiana in a car and met Sunny who booked two rooms in a hotel for them.," he said.

Sunny and Budhu associates stayed overnight in the hotel. On the next morning, they took breakfast and Sunny left the hotel in a car and came back with rods and other sharp-edged weapons, he said.

"Around 10 am, all left the hotel to attack Rinkle. Two associates of Sunny riding on a bike, joined them in the way and barged in Rinkle's house. Sunny hit hard on Rinkle head with an iron rod, following which he fell unconscious. But he continued hitting his head," he said.

They fled away from the spot. He said further investigations into the case were going on, he added.