Police secure gangster Budda’s deportation from Armenia

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 22

The Punjab Police are all set to arrest wanted notorious gangster Sukhpreet Singh Dhaliwal, alias Budda, from Delhi airport this night, after successfully securing his deportation from Aremnia.

Budda is scheduled to land around midnight at the Delhi airport and will be taken into custody by a waiting Punjab Police team, said DGP Dinkar Gupta.

The self-styled chief of the Davinder Bambiha gang, Budda is facing more than 15 criminal cases of murder, attempt to murder, extortion, Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), etc. He has also recently come to notice for his contacts with pro-Khalistan elements.

Budda was convicted in a murder case of 2011, but had jumped parole in 2016 and was declared a proclaimed offender. Responsible for various criminal, extortion and unlawful activities in Punjab, cases against Budda are also registered in various police stations of Haryana.

Budda, resident of Kussa in Moga district, had fled the country in the wake of the crackdown launched by the Capt Amarinder Singh government against gangsters. The Punjab Police continued to zealously pursue him but narrowly missed nabbing him in UAE. Eventually, he was tracked down in Aremina, following which the Punjab Police got a Look Out Circular (LOC) and Red Corner Notice (RCN) issued from Interpol, according to Gupta.

Ann operation led to the apprehension of Budda by the Armenian Police on August 8. Soon thereafter, a few pro-Khalistan activists in Europe had posted an update on Facebook about Budda’s arrest calling him ‘a strong voice for Khalistan in Punjab’. In fact, Budda had earlier claimed responsibility on his Facebook account for the elimination of Maninder Pal Bittu, an activist of Dera Sacha Sauda, who was murdered inside Nabha Jail.

Subsequently, a special Punjab Police team, under Harkamalpreet Singh Khakh, AIG, Counter Intelligence, Jalandhar, and Bikram Brar, DSP, OCCU, was deputed for coordinating the deportation of the fugitive criminal.

Giving details of Budda’s antecedents, the DGP said the gangster was actively involved in extortion business in Punjab, and had gained notoriety as one of the most feared and dreaded criminals of the state after the death of Vicky Gounder. He was the kingpin of the attack on Punjabi singer/actor Parmish Verma in April 2018.

Was involved in extortion in state

• The self-styled chief of the Davinder Bambiha gang, Budda is facing more than 15 criminal cases of murder, attempt to murder, extortion, Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), etc.
• He has also recently come to notice for his contacts with pro-Khalistan elements.
• The DGP said the gangster was actively involved in extortion business in Punjab, and had gained notoriety as one of the most feared and dreaded criminals of the state after the death of Vicky Gounder.