Snatcher caught after encounter

The Amritsar (Rural) police arrested an alleged snatcher identified as Amritpal Singh (24), a resident of Nangal village, following an encounter in the Batala Road area yesterday. He has two criminal cases registered against him. A bullet hit the suspect’s right leg after the police retaliated his fire before arresting him. SSP Satinder Singh said the Mehta police station SHO had laid a naka on Batala Road. He said a youth came on a bike without registration number plate. When the youth was signalled to stop at the naka, he tried to flee. A police party chased him. The suspect fired at the police party. The police team returned the fire in which Amritpal was injured. He was rushed to the Baba Bakala Civil Hospital. The SSP said he was wanted in two high profile snatching cases registered at the Mehtab police station. He had looted cash from a petrol pump on gunpoint in June this year. The police recovered a country made .32 bore pistol, one empty and two live rounds and one motorcycle without registration number from the suspect, the SSP said. The backward and forward links of the suspect would be established during further investigation, the SSP added.