Gang member wanted for murder bid, extortion held

A sharpshooter of the Kala Rana-Noni Rana crime syndicate from Yamunanagar, Haryana, was arrested in Rohini, the police said on Monday.

The accused, identified as Arjun (22), was wanted in four cases of extortion-related firing and attempt to murder reported from Yamunanagar, Ladwa in Kurukshetra, Mohali and Zirakpur.

The cases include the September 14 firing at Barnala Mall in Yamunanagar; a subsequent attack on a liquor shop in Ladwa the same night; the November 7 indiscriminate firing at a house in Mohali, where a paper bearing the name "Kala Rana" was thrown; and the November 9 attempt to kill MN Crown Hotel owner Gagan Bawa in Zirakpur by wanted accused Shubham Pandit.

According to the police, Arjun, entered the criminal network due to financial hardships and was lured by gang associate Ankit Giri. Through encrypted communication, he came in contact with gang members, including Noni Rana, a foreign-based handler, and operatives Rajat and Aman, who assigned him multiple extortion firing tasks, an official said.

Investigators revealed that he was provided money and shelter while absconding, and a Rs 10,000 reward had been proposed for his arrest.