Wanted gangster Nav Loharia, 3 others arrested from Haryana border

Aman Sood
Tribune News Service
Patiala, February 4

The local police today arrested gangster Navpreet Sandhu alias Nav Lahoria —  believed to be a thread between criminals of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and wanted in over a dozen cases of robbery, murder and attempt to murder — from Samana along with two aides.

The other two arrested are Ankur Singh, alias Mani, and Prashant Hindrav, both from Uttar Pradesh.

Investigators claim Lahoria, who tried to eliminate Patiala SSP Mandeep Sidhu when a police team was fired upon on February 2, is one of only a few gangsters from the Malwa belt, with a majority belonging to the border districts of Punjab. The three had escaped while two of their associates were arrested.

“Lahoria would have shot the Patiala SSP but his weapon misfired and he fled the scene,” said the investigators. The police desisted from firing indiscriminately to avoid collateral damage.

SSP Sidhu said Lahoria first went to jail in 2016 in an attempt-to-murder case where he met gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and later got in touch with another gangster, Sampat Nehra.

“Thereafter, Lahoria was regularly in touch with the two, facilitating their stay while evading the police. He won their trust and got involved in the crime world,” he said. Facing 20 cases in all, Lahoria got involved in over a dozen cases of attempt to murder, murder, extortion and robberies in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh in the past three years.

A diploma-holder in electronics, Lahoria earned notoriety after the broad daylight murder of an Ambala City jeweller, Sunil Jain (45).

Jain was shot dead at his shop in Sarafa Bazaar, while his helper Bharat Bhushan sustained a bullet injury.

Sources say the gang was in Patiala to eliminate a target and planned to use a snatched car in the crime. However, two of the suspects, Mani Dullar and Navneet Kaithal, were arrested on February 2 and two pistols and a Swift car were recovered.

They told interrogators that they were staying with friends at a house in Ranjit Nagar, which was taken on rent by six youths, two of them being sons of serving police officers.

“Police recovered a book, condoms and 100 empty liquor bottles from the house,” said investigators, adding that following the visit of gangsters to the house, neighbours lived in fear and their complaints to the local police went unheard. Learning this, the SSP yesterday ordered a departmental inquiry against Tripuri SHO Rajesh Malhotra.

“The Delhi and Haryana police have got in touch with us and they will interrogate him for crimes in their states,” said Sidhu.

Bishnoi confidant dabbled in music

• Lahoria took to crime after getting in touch with notorious gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi and Sampat Nehra
• Fond of Punjabi songs, he acted in and produced song “Midnight tears”, which was appreciated on the social media
• He was planning to produce another song and had finalised lyrics. He used to spend the loot on liquor and to support a lavish lifestyle