CM okays squads to curb terrorist-gangster nexus

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 24

Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh today approved the setting up of anti-terror squads for curbing the growing nexus between terrorists and gangsters.

He also announced that the government was considering formulating a stringent law, the Punjab Control of Organised Criminals Act (PCOCA). The latter empowers cops to secure custody of a criminal for a longer period. Under this law, the confession made before a senior police officer is admissible in a court. The then SAD-BJP government had also mooted the law, but it could not get support from most of the legislators.

Revealing that there were 22 organised criminal gangs operating in Punjab, with 240 members — of which 137 were lodged in various jails — the Chief Minister said in a press release that the gangsters had been operating under political patronage in the past, but his government would not allow any protection.

He added that since March 16, when the Congress government took over, 16 gangsters had been arrested. So far, of the six Nabha jail escapees, four have been held. Seven of the 14 attackers are also been nabbed, along with 11 harbourers/conspirators/facilitators.

Quoting official data, he said 12 gangsters in category ‘A’ and 10 in category ‘B’ were absconding.

The police crackdown has also led to the busting of two terrorist modules, leading to the arrest of four militants. The modules were getting help from local gangsters.

A government spokesperson stated that during his meeting with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh last week, Capt Amarinder had raised concern about the nexus between militants and gangsters, pointing out that the jail staff, including superintendents/wardens, had been receiving threats from such elements.

This nexus had led to incidents such as the Nabha jailbreak, the CM had observed, seeking the Home Minister’s intervention to secure the prisons.

The state government is also requesting the judiciary to notify trial courts in jails to avoid frequent movement of members of top criminal gangs, who are being targeted by rivals.