2 weeks Ago By Payal Dhawan
Ludhiana: For the charm of his idol Rishav Benipal Nanu ’s gangster life, a 25-year-old Tibba resident property dealer with no criminal history had joined him allegedly in a recent attempt to shoot a shoe trader. The scary part is that he did it for kicks and not money. Property dealer Akash Kumar is the third suspect detained in connection with the shooting of Gurvinder Singh Prinkle and his business partner, Navtej Kaur, who were attacked at Prinkle’s shop in Khud Mohalla on Friday.
Police said Akash Kumar, a property dealer from Karamsar Colony, had come into contact with Benipal at political rallies, leading to a friendship that had culminated in his involvement in the attack. As multiple assailants opened fire on Prinkle, the trader sustained seven bullet injuries, while his partner suffered two. Prinkle reportedly returned fire using his licensed gun, injuring Benipal and another associate, Sushil Kumar, both of whom were arrested and are now in the hospital.
Following a tip-off, when police on Sunday detained Akash from Rajpura, they seized an illegal pistol and some ammunition that he had received from Benipal allegedly. Assistant commissioner of police Anil Bhanot has reported that Akash was drawn into criminal activities due to his connection with Benipal rather than for financial gain. Police are conducting further raids as the investigation progresses.
The Division 3 police initially charged multiple suspects, including Prinkle’s relatives and associates of Benipal. However, authorities have indicated that some individuals named in the original complaint may be removed from the case pending further investigation into motives, which include a personal conflict reportedly tied to a video where Prinkle had insulted Benipal’s family. Prinkle, who runs a shoe business from Chandigarh Road, has been a controversial figure in recent years, often vocal against political figures.
Considering ongoing threats to him, the Punjab and Haryana high court had in 2021 granted him police protection. However, Prinkle relinquished his security detail in Aug after being charged under the Information Technology Act and went into hiding subsequently. Deputy commissioner of police (city and investigation) Shubham Agarwal has confirmed that multiple teams from the CIA (crime investigation agency) units and Zone-1 police were mobilised to locate the suspects.
Early on Friday, around 1.30 am, these teams arrested Benipal and Sushil, both injured. Following the attack, Prinkle had filed a statement naming several individuals, including Benipal, Honey Sethi, Harpreet Singh, advocate Gaganpreet Singh, Prinkle’s father-in-law, Rajinder Singh, brother-in-law, Sukhwinderpal Singh, and their 4-to-5 unidentified aides.
Prinkle had traced his animosity with in-laws to his marriage that was without their consent, and now he accuses them of conspiring with Benipal and others to orchestrate the last attack. The police inquiry revealed additional factors in the dispute, including a recent altercation between Benipal and Prinkle. In a video circulated online, Prinkle reportedly used offensive language about Benipal and his mother, intensifying hostilities potentially.
When questioned on the underlying motivations, DCP Agarwal said that the investigators were assessing Prinkle’s claims about his in-laws, while also examining the broader context of personal rivalry. Accused Benipal and Suhil are reported to have disclosed the names of several associates during preliminary interrogation, leading police to nominate Mukul Sharma, Sahil Sapra, Akash, and Jatta as additional suspects in the case. Prinkle named business competitor Honey Sethi as a conspirator, leading Sethi to deny his involvement publicly, claiming Prinkle’s accusation was an attempt to entangle him.
According to Sethi, they had reconciled their rivalry, but Prinkle is now allegedly dragging him into the case without basis. A senior police official commented: “Given the number of people with whom Prinkle has ongoing rivalries, a thorough verification is required before any additional arrests.”.
