Gangster Masti’s ex-aide arrested after shootout

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, November 5

The city police arrested gangster Amanpreet Singh Rinka and his accomplice, Rohit Sharma, after a shootout near Fatahpur area in the wee hours of Monday. Rinka is a former aide of gangster Rajat Malhotra alias Karan Masti, who was found dead in a car in Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh) on November 1.

Rinka is facing seven cases of robbery and murder, including the killing of Congress councillor Gurdeep Pehalwan. He had parted ways with Masti and formed his own gang.

He suffered a bullet injury in retaliatory firing by the police. He was admitted to Guru Nanak Dev Hospital.

Police Commissioner SS Srivastava said the CIA staff received a tip-off on Sunday that Rinka had been spotted seen in the Tarn Taran area and that he would enter the city with weapons at night to commit a major crime. Srivastava said special nakas were laid at the entry and exit points of the city.

At Fatahpur, a police team headed by CIA incharge Vavinder Mahajan signalled a bike to stop, but the riders opened fire. Two shots hit a police vehicle. Rinka and Rohit surrendered after the former was hit by a bullet on the leg. The police recovered two pistols and seven rounds from their possession.

Srivastva said Rinka’s accomplices Deep Gill and Hrikshit were nabbed by the Delhi Police on Thursday. They will also be brought here on production warrant. Shubham Singh, Arun Chhurimar and Angrej Singh, whose names also figure in the Pehalwan murder case, are still at large.

UP cops register murder case

• The UP Police have registered a murder case in connection with gangster Karan Masti's death. Earlier, they had initiated proceedings under Section 174 of the CrPC.
• The local police are planning to bring weapon supplier Preet Phagwara to Amritsar on production warrant. Preet, who used to provide weapons to gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi, Masti and Rinka, was arrested by the Delhi Police on Thursday.
• As per a probe being conducted by the city police, Preet was probably involved in Masti’s murder, which took place on October 30. He had met Preet a day before his death.