Robbery suspect shot in leg during encounter

Fatehgarh Sahib: A highway robbery suspect was injured during a police encounter near Wazirabad village in Punjab's Fatehgarh Sahib district late Wednesday night.The accused, Rupinderjit Singh, a resident of Talwara village in Ludhiana, was arrested in connection with a Sept 8 highway robbery. Police say he fired at officers during an operation to recover a firearm. In the retaliatory fire, Rupinderjit sustained a gunshot wound to his leg and was taken to a local hospital. His condition is reported as stable.A head constable also suffered minor injuries after he slipped during the chase; police have confirmed he was not hit by gunfire. He is also in stable condition.The firearm allegedly used by the accused has also been seized.Fatehgarh Sahib senior superintendent of police (SSP) Shubham Agarwal said that the operation is part of an ongoing effort to combat organised crime in the district.According to police, the encounter is linked to the robbery of a truck on the Sirhind–Rajpura road. The truck was transporting 31 tonnes of iron sheets valued at Rs 19 lakh from Ghaziabad to Ludhiana. The robbers, armed with guns, allegedly threw chilli powder into the eyes of the driver, before assaulting him and fleeing with the vehicle.Following the crime, three of the four suspects—Rupinderjit Singh, Satnam Singh of Kubewal Gujran, and Gurmeet alias Meeta from Jalbera village—were arrested the next day. A fourth suspect, Rajinder Singh of Kurukshetra, remains at large.Police have since recovered the stolen truck, the iron sheet consignment, and the Fortuner SUV used in the robbery.