New Delhi, May 3 (IANS) In a major crackdown on criminals, the Dwarka District Police on Wednesday conducted raids at multiple locations in Delhi and Haryana and arrested six people while detained 20 persons in search of associates of gangster Kapil Sangwan alias Nandu, an official said.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka) M Harhsa Vardhan said that 21 teams comprising 300 police personnel conducted simultaneous searches at 15 locations in Delhi and six in Haryana.
"We have detained 20 people and arrested six for various offences under the Arms Act and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) based on the recovery during the raids and searches," said the DCP.
The arrested accused were identified as Nitin Narulla, Nikhil, Rajpal alias Raju Gahlot, Deepak - all residents of Delhi - Mohit and Jitender Dahiya, both residents of Haryana. Deepak, Nikhil and Nitin were found involved in other criminal cases as well.
Police have also seized a bullet proof Fortuner car, three pistols with seven bullets, Rs 20 lakh cash, 22.4 grams heroin and 73 grams amphetamine from various locations.
As per police, the action comes after six people, including two juveniles, were apprehended in connection with the killing of Surender Matiala, Delhi BJP Kisan Morcha leader in Dwarka's Bindapur. One of the two shooters, arrested from Chandigarh, was associated with the Kapil Sangwan gang.
It is suspected that Sangwan, who has been declared a proclaimed offender and is currently hiding abroad, to increase his presence in the area and revive his dwindling group had killed Matiala through his gang members.
The official said that the raids targeted Kapil Sangwan's gang and his associates and in Haryana, police raided the hideouts of the gangster and his associates in Jhajjar, Sonipat, Bahadurgarh and Mahendragarh.
The Chief Minister said the government is fully sensitive towards checking cross-border infiltration in Punjab. He said Punjab Police is constantly in touch with the Border Security Force (BSF) and other agencies for this purpose.
While briefing the officers, the DGP said the topmost priority of the government, as directed by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, is to further strengthen the fight against drugs to make Punjab a drug-free state, besides eliminating the gangster culture, maintaining law and order, and detection of crime.
Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur announced Rs 5 lakh to the next of the kin of the deceased, whereas Rs 15,000 as immediate relief for the injured. He said free treatment would be provided to the injured.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday carried out his first Cabinet expansion by inducting five legislators, including second-time MLA Aman Arora, into his council of ministers. The expansion came in less than four months of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) sweeping to victory in the Assembly elections by winning 92 seats of the 117 seats.
The police have so far managed to nab four of the accused, including one woman, who have been identified as Gurjant Singh (31), Navjot Singh (30), Satpal Singh (28) and Gurpreet Kaur (30).
The ambidextrous sharpshooter, identified as Ankit alias Chhota, a resident of Sonipat in Haryana, was most desperate to commit the crime."He fired simultaneously from two pistols in his two hands," H.G.S. Dhaliwal, Special Commissioner (Special Cell), said during a media briefing.
