Attack on home guard jawans: Fourth accused has criminal background, say police

The fourth accused held for firing at two home guard jawans in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu has a criminal background, police said.

Main accused Shubham Panwar, alias Shivu (23), was arrested on Friday evening from Aleo where he had been hiding at his friends' place, Kullu SP Gaurav Singh said on Saturday.

Shivu's two friends -- Vikash Rana (26) of Kangra district and Priti (24) of Bihar -- have also been arrested for harbouring the offender under Section 212 of IPC, he added.

A resident of Uttarakhand's Dehradun, Shivu had fled after attacking the home guard jawans in Kullu district on Thursday.

His antecedents have been verified and he has been found of having a criminal background as a theft case was registered against him in Dehradun's Vikas Nagar police station, he added.

The SP Vikas and Priti hid Shiva in a locked room and misinformed police when enquired about his whereabouts.

The weapon of offence is yet to be recovered, he added.

Four men had allegedly attacked the home guard jawans with a country-made pistol and a stick in the early hours of Thursday.

Three other accused -- Sandeep, Aakash and Karan - were arrested within a few minutes of the attack on Thursday and were sent to five-day police custody till December 17 on Friday by a Kullu court.

The SP said that Shivu would be produced before the court on Saturday.

Jawan Naresh Kumar was injured in the attack.

Kumar and Tikhu Ram had asked the men, who were roaming in the Model Town area at 1.15 AM, to go home, but minutes later the accused attacked them.

An attempt to murder case was registered against them at the Manali police station.