Sangrur: Arms suppliers’ gang busted, five arrested

Parvesh Sharma

Sangrur, September 12

The Sangrur police claimed to have busted an interstate gang of weapon suppliers with the arrest of its five members and seizure of 21 pistols and magazines. While the gang was being allegedly operated from a Ferozepur jail, the police have also arrested an accused from Madhya Pradesh (MP).

The Chhajli police had on September 5 arrested two persons, identified as Baljinder Singh and Karan Sharma, from Mehlan Chowk and seized 21 pistols from their possession. After the registration of a case under the Arms Act, officials of the Sangrur Crime Investigation Agency (CIA), Dirba police and Chhajli police worked together in the case. It came to light that the accused had brought the pistols from MP.

“It was discovered that Rajiv Kaushal, alias Gugu, who was lodged in a Ferozepur jail, had supplied the weapons. Gugu had arranged for the required money through Hemant Manhotra of Ludhiana. Our teams arrested Manhotra on September 5 and brought Gugu on production warrant on September 10,” said ADGP Mukhwinder Singh Chhina.

Chhina said the police teams identified another accused, Gudu Barela from Burhanpur of MP, who was working as a courier of weapon manufacturers and had supplied the guns to Baljinder and Karan. Gudu was arrested on September 10.

“Gugu has links with the Ravi Balachauria and Lawrance Bishnoi gangs and the seized pistols were to be delivered to members of these and other gangs in Mohali, Kharar and other cities of the state. They were to be used for extortion and gang wars. We have also seized a mobile phone that was being used by Gugu in the jail,” said ADGP Chhina.

The ADGP added that Baljinder and Gugu were facing various criminal cases in different districts of Punjab, HP and Haryana.