Gangster Sagar Newton's kin, supporters block highway in Ludhiana

Family members and supporters of gangster Sagar Newton, who was lodged in the Sangrur jail, blocked a highway in Ludhiana on Wednesday, claiming he had died "under mysterious circumstances".

Newton died at the PGI in Chandigarh on Tuesday.

The family kept his body on the Ferozepur road as part of their protest, saying they would not cremate him till the government took action against “the jail officials responsible for his death".

Heavy traffic jam was witnessed on the road.

His family members claimed that Sagar was fit when he had appeared for a court hearing in Ludhiana in January. They alleged that the police claim that Sagar had suffered a severe diabetes attack and subsequent kidney failure was a sheer lie.

Last year in August, the Ludhiana police, in a joint operation with the Counter Intelligence, Ludhiana, finally arrested Newton, an A-Category gangster, by conducting a raid at Bijnor, UP. The gangster was facing 18 cases, including those of murder, dacoity, theft and drug smuggling.

The gangster had challenged the Ludhiana police by posting some videos on social media.

Although Newton had been playing hide and seek with the police, he had strongly showed his presence on social media. Newton had several accounts on Instagram where he would 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 if they wanted him to surrender.

Taking action, then Police Commissioner, Ludhiana, Kuldeep Singh Chahal alerted the cyber cell for action against his social media accounts, following which his accounts were blocked.