In an extensive and planned operation, the Punjab Police has busted an inter-state gang backed by Gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi and Harwinder Rinda, with the arrest of its 11 members. The police have also recovered nine weapons and five vehicles from their possession. The operation was carried out by the Jalandhar Rural Police.
ADGP Promod Ban, who was accompanied by SSP Jalandhar Rural Swapan Sharma, said that this group was active in several neighbouring states and had been involved in crimes including murder, attempt to murder, armed dacoity, organized extortion, dacoity, robbery, and drug smuggling. “With their arrest, Punjab Police has thwarted at least seven murders, two police custody escapes, and four armed robberies,” he added.
Those arrested have been identified as Mohd. Yaseen Akhtar alias Jaisy Purewal of Nakodar, Jalandhar; Sagar Singh of Naya Shahar Badala in Mohali; Amar Malik of Samrala, Ludhiana; Navi of Lohian, Jalandhar; Ankush Sabharwal alias Paya of Nakodar, Jalandhar; Sumit Jaswal alias Kaku of Una (HP); Amandeep alias Shooter of Phillaur, Jalandhar; Shiv Kumar alias Shiva of Phillaur, Jalandhar; Vishal alias Fauji of Nakodar, Jalandhar; Arun Kumar alias Mani Rana of Una (HP) and Annu alias Pehalwan of Kapurthala.
All the arrested persons are history-sheeters and have been facing cases of heinous crimes.
As per preliminary investigations, the gang was being operated by Vikram Brar, an associate of Goldy Brar under the directions of Harwinder Singh alias Rinda, as per AGGP Pramod Ban. Notably, Brar, a resident of Hanumangarh in Rajasthan, is currently residing abroad and is wanted by the police of six states. He is a classmate of Lawrence Bishnoi and is active on social media.
Giving details about arrested persons, SSP Swapan Sharma revealed Mohamad Yaseen Akhtar alias Jasse has been missing for a year.
Jasse is a prodigy of Brar and Lawrence and has been involved in at least 16 criminal activities.
Another arrested person identified as Ankush Sabarwal alias Paya, who has six criminal cases registered against him, was a student of Vikram Brar at an IELTS centre in Nakodar in 2014 and had been providing shelter and safe house to Saurav Mahakal of Maharashtra, who was arrested by Pune Police. Along with Mahakal, he committed three crimes in Punjab during Mahakal’s two-month stay in the state.
Arun Kumar alias Mani Rana is a jailed gangster and is operating on the behest of the Lawrence-Jaggu Bhagwanpuria group.
The arrested gang had planned Mani Rana’s escape from police custody during a court hearing in Una, Himachal Pradesh. Sumit Jaswal alias Kaku has been arrested for his active involvement in doing recce and organizing logistics for this escape attempt.
“With the arrest of this gang, the backbone of organized criminal activities in the Doaba region in general and Jalandhar, in particular, has been broken,” he added.
In the past two months, Jalandhar Rural Police has arrested 32 gang members across the state, who are affiliated with various jailed gangsters and has recovered 38 weapons from their possession.