Chandigarh, February 21: Punjab Police on Tuesday claimed to have thwarted a major contract killing attempt with the arrest of two men. The police also seized a pistol, a magazine and four live cartridges from the duo.

The arrested accused have been identified as Tarandeep Singh alias Laddi from Faridkot's Jaito and Kuldeep Singh alias Kali of Muktsar, Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said. Punjab Police Lathi-Charge Mazdoor Union Members Marching Towards CM Bhagwant Mann’s Residence in Sangrur (Watch Video).

The accused are history-sheeters and were wanted in Punjab in an extortion case. They were also wanted in Haryana for their alleged involvement in a robbery, he said in a statement. Punjab: Police Encounter With Gangsters Caught on CCTV in Amritsar, Two Arrested (Watch Video).

The duo was arrested by a police team led by the Counter Intelligence Unit of Muktsar. They were allegedly hatching a conspiracy to kill a Malout-based person on the directions of US-based Niranjan Singh alias Nick, Yadav said in the statement.

"Preliminary investigations suggest that accused Nick wanted to settle scores with his relative and had paid Laddi and Kali to kill him," he added. Laddi had bought the pistol and ammunition from Madhya Pradesh.

Nick had sent at least Rs 2.50 lakh in the bank account of Laddi's mother to purchase a weapon and for other expenses, said Additional Inspector General, Counter Intelligence (Bathinda Zone), Simratpal Singh Dhindsa. A case has been registered and an investigation in underway, he said.

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