Punjab: gangster killed following encounter with police in Amritsar

An arrested gangster was killed in an exchange of fire with the Punjab Police while he was trying to flee in Amritsar's Jandiala Guru area on Wednesday morning, officials said.

Amritpal Singh (22), arrested on Tuesday, was taken to Jandiala Guru for the recovery of two kg of heroin. He fired at the police team from a pistol hidden there while in handcuffs and tried to flee, they said.

"During interrogation on Tuesday, he disclosed that he had hidden two kg of heroin. We brought him here to recover the narcotics," Senior Superintendent of Police of Amritsar (Rural) Satinder Singh said.

Amritpal, however, did not disclose that he had hidden a weapon there, the police officer said.

While the police were seizing the two kg of heroin, Amritpal took out a 9 mm pistol and opened fire, leaving one official injured. Another official had a narrow escape as a bullet pierced through his turban, the SSP said.