Gangster Newton’s kin, supporters block highway

After Category A gangster Sagar Newton died at the PGI, Chandigarh, on Tuesday, his kin and supporters in a large number blocked the Aarti chowk on the Ferozepur road on Wednesday. The protesters demanded that the role of Sangrur jail officials in his death should be probed as he was lodged at the Sangrur jail.

Deceased ‘s kin claimed that Newton was fit when he appeared for a court hearing in Ludhiana in January. They alleged the police claimed that the he suffered a severe diabetes attack and then kidney failure but these were pure lies. Newton, who was 27-year-old, had no health issues at all and he died under mysterious circumstances.

His body was kept on the road and the stretch was blocked from all sides, which led to a long traffic jam on the highway. After 30 minutes when senior police officials reached and calmed down the protesters and assured to take up the matter before the authorities concerned, they lifted the protest. Following which, the traffic was resumed.

The protesters alleged that Newton’s wife was also arrested by the Ludhiana police in some criminal case in the past and they had been demanding her release so that she could take part in the last rites of her husband. The gangster had also recently posted a video in which he had demanded that if the police release his wife, he would shun the crime world and surrender.

In August last year, the Ludhiana police in a joint operation with the Counter Intelligence, Ludhiana, finally arrested the suspect by conducting a raid at Bijnor in UP. He was facing 18 cases, including of murder, dacoity, theft and drug smuggling, registered against him in the past. Though Newton was playing hide and seek with the police, used to show his presence on social media. He had several accounts on Instagram where he used to frequently upload videos and photographs. Last year before being arrested, he posted a video on his social media accounts in which he asked the police to release his wife after which that he would surrender. He also challenged the Ludhiana police. Taking action, the then Commissioner of Police Kuldeep Singh Chahal had already alerted the cyber cell to take action against his social media accounts, following which several social media accounts of the suspect were blocked.

The gangster had also posted a video on social media a few months ago in which he had stated that he would be killed in a fake encounter anytime.