Chandigarh, June 18
Two accused arrested in the murder of Janaki Das, a cashier at Kumar Medical Store in Sector 11 and husband of a woman panchayat pradhan from Rohru in Himachal Pradesh, were injured in a police encounter on Thursday morning after allegedly attempting to escape from the custody.
According to Chandigarh Police, the accused were being brought to Chandigarh after their arrest in Jammu and Kashmir when the police vehicle reportedly crashed into a tree near Dhanas after the driver allegedly dozed off. Taking advantage of the accident, the two accused allegedly tried to flee.
Police said the accused ignored warnings to stop and allegedly attempted to snatch weapons from police personnel. One of them reportedly opened fire at the investigating officer, who escaped unhurt. In retaliatory action, police shot both accused in the legs and overpowered them. They were later admitted to Government Multi-Specialty Hospital, Sector 16, Chandigarh.
The accused, identified as Sunny and Aryan, were arrested on Wednesday in Rajouri during a joint operation conducted by Chandigarh Police’s Operation Cell, Crime Branch, and Jammu and Kashmir Police. A third accused remains absconding.
Cashier Shot Dead With 11 Bullets
Janaki Das was gunned down on Saturday at Kumar Medical Store in Sector 11. Investigators said the assailants fired around 11 rounds from an automatic weapon, killing him on the spot.
A native of Rohru in Himachal Pradesh, Janaki Das had been working in Chandigarh for the past 24 years. His wife, Ina Machharet, was recently elected pradhan of Dalgon Panchayat in Rohru.
The investigation revealed that after the murder, the accused reached Kajheri in Sector 52, changed their clothes, and travelled by auto-rickshaw to Sector 43 bus stand. They then allegedly boarded a bus to Delhi before escaping to Jammu and Kashmir by train.
Police suspect the absconding third accused was the main shooter and may have links to the Tricity region. Efforts are underway to trace and arrest him.
