Extortion racket busted by Kapurthala police, 12 held

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, April 15

The Kapurthala police today arrested 12 gang members of the Lakhbir Singh Landa group, who were running an extortion racket in Kapurthala and nearby areas.

The police seizeed two pistols, 26 bullets and a motorcycle from the gang members. The members used to call up rich people in Kapurthala and Sultanpur Lodhi areas and demand money from them. At least two families had been targeted by the gang.

Kapurthala SSP Vatsala Gupta said in a special campaign organised by the district police, members of the Landa gang were arrested in a joint operation by teams of the CIA staff and Counter-Intelligence, Jalandhar.

The gang was being operated by Harike native Lakhbir Singh Landa, who along with UK-based associate Harjit Singh Bhandal, had been hiring local criminals in Punjab for the extortion racket. Harjit’s Lambra-based brother Maninder Singh is among the arrested suspects.

A case under sections of the Arms Act and Sections 383 (extortion) and 307 (attempt to murder), IPC, has been registered against the gang. The members have been remanded in four-day police custody.

The arrested members have been identified as Jasvir Singh Jassa, Maninder Singh, Gurjit Singh, Yuvraj Kumar, Angrez Singh, Manpreet Singh, Dharminder Singh, Jaspreet Singh, Balwinder Singh, Sukhpreet Singh, Harjit Singh and Vishal.

The SSP said Landa, who is currently living abroad, used to demand ransom by threatening people himself and through aides.

Key gang member Jasveer Singh Jassa revealed during investigation that he had pulled off similar crimes in the past. The SSP said gang members used to fire shots outside people’s houses to threaten them.

The SSP said, “A majority of the gang members had cases registered against them. Local criminals’ identities were kept hidden from each other to avoid arrest. Jasveer Singh alias Jassa is a cunning criminal, who had hideouts in many districts. He had eight Arms Act cases against him, in which he was absconding. After the crime, he used to hide in Jalandhar and Sangrur districts. His accomplices who organised the stay for criminals have also been arrested.”

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