The North News
Chandigarh, January 13
The Punjab Police have arrested three men in connection with the killing of kabaddi promoter Kanwar Digvijay Singh, also known as Rana Balachauria, following an intelligence-led operation across several Indian states. The arrests were made by the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) of Punjab Police, with assistance from police forces and central agencies in West Bengal, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Sikkim.
Punjab’s Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said the suspects include two alleged shooters — Karan Pathak, also known as Karan Defaulter, from Amritsar, and Tarandeep Singh from Ludhiana district — along with Akashdeep, from Tarn Taran, who is accused of providing logistical support. Police said Akashdeep is a close relative of a foreign-based handler, Amar Khabe Rajputa, and allegedly helped the shooters with shelter and movement after the attack.
Kanwar Digvijay Singh was shot dead on December 15 during a kabaddi tournament at Sohana in SAS Nagar, also known as Mohali. With the latest arrests, a total of five suspects have now been taken into custody. Two others — identified by police as Aishdeep Singh and Davinder — were arrested earlier. He said all those arrested were being brought to Punjab for further questioning and that efforts were continuing to track down other suspected associates.
Providing details of the investigation, Deputy Inspector General Gurmeet Singh Chauhan said the case showed signs of organised gang rivalry and possible links to handlers based abroad. Investigators analysed CCTV footage to reconstruct the movements of the suspects before and after the shooting, identified vehicles used in the attack, and traced their escape route as far as Panipat toll plaza, police said.
According to the AGTF, digital trail analysis showed that the suspects travelled through Mumbai, Bengaluru, Siliguri, Sikkim, Gangtok and Kolkata before being arrested in Howrah, West Bengal, by an AGTF team with support from the West Bengal STF. The Police said both alleged shooters have prior criminal records and that further investigation is under way. An FIR has been registered at Sohana police station under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Arms Act.
