Chandigarh police arrest two accused in Sector 11 chemist shop murder

Four days after a shocking murder at a chemist shop in Chandigarh’s Sector 11 market, police have arrested two men accused of carrying out the shooting. The arrests were made in Jammu after a joint operation by Chandigarh Police and Jammu and Kashmir Police.

The murder had created fear across the city because it happened in broad daylight in a crowded market area. The victim, Janki Das, a 45-year-old cashier at the chemist shop, was shot dead on June 13.

Police said the two accused are now being brought back to Chandigarh on transit remand. They will be questioned to understand why the murder happened and whether more people were involved in planning the crime.

Inspector General of Police Pushpendra Kumar confirmed the arrests and said the operation was handled by the district crime cell and the operation cell with help from Jammu and Kashmir Police.

The police are now trying to find out the full truth behind the murder.

Murder in a busy market

The killing happened in one of Chandigarh’s busiest markets. Sector 11 market is located just opposite PGIMER, one of the biggest hospitals in the region. Every day, thousands of people visit this area, including patients, doctors, students, and local residents.

The market has many chemist shops, cafes, and grocery stores, making it a crowded and important place.

Because of this, the murder shocked many people.

CCTV footage from the shop showed the horrifying attack. The video showed two masked men entering the chemist shop. They were carrying an automatic 9mm pistol.

The footage showed them loading the weapon inside the shop and firing directly at Janki Das from close range.

Police said around 13 rounds were fired during the attack. Janki Das suffered seven to eight bullet wounds and died on the spot.

The attack happened so quickly that there was no chance for anyone to stop it.

After shooting him, the two attackers ran out of the shop and escaped through the market. A third person was waiting outside on a motorcycle to help them flee.

What made the incident more worrying was that a police checkpoint, also called a naka, was set up nearby. But even that could not stop the accused from escaping.

Police believe the attackers used the Sarangpur route to get away.

Later, the Goldy Dhillon gang claimed responsibility for the murder. Police are now checking if the gang was directly involved or if others helped in planning the crime.

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Police action after criticism

The murder raised serious questions about security in the city.

Many people criticised Chandigarh Police because the crime happened so close to the city’s crime branch office. The fact that armed men could enter a busy market, shoot someone, and escape easily caused anger among the public.

After this criticism, Chandigarh Police took action against its own staff.

On Wednesday, five police personnel were suspended for negligence in their duties.

The suspension happened after Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Sumer Partap Singh carried out a surprise inspection of police checkpoints.

During the inspection, some officers were found missing from duty, while others were not performing their work properly.

The suspended officers include Sub-Inspector Bachhitar Singh from Sector 11 police station, Senior Constable Robbin, Constable Suman from the Sukhna Lake police post, Constable Deeksha from Sector 3, and Senior Constable Jaspal Kaur from IT Park police station.

According to the police order, these officers were found “deficient in performance of their duties.”

Three of them were not even present when the senior officer checked the naka.

The suspended officers will now stay posted at the District Police Lines in Sector 26 during the suspension period.

Their salaries and services will be managed under Rule 16.21 of the Punjab Police Rules.

They will also receive a subsistence allowance as per the rules.

The police department hopes that this action will send a strong message to all officers about the importance of duty.

Meanwhile, the investigation into Janki Das’s murder continues.

Police will now question the arrested men to find out the exact motive. They also want to know if the killing was linked to gang rivalry, personal enmity, or some other reason.

The city is still in shock over how such a violent crime could happen in the middle of a crowded market.

Residents are demanding stronger security, more police presence, and better monitoring in public places.

For now, the arrests have brought some relief, but many questions remain unanswered.

The police say more details will come out after interrogation, and further arrests may also happen if more people are found involved in the murder plot.