Chandigarh/Jalandhar, August 16 2024 (Yes Punjab News)
Amidst the ongoing drive against organised crime as per directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Jalandhar Rural Police arrested four members of the notorious Jaggu Bhagwanpuria gang after a hot chase on the Jalandhar-Batala Highway, and recovered significant cache of arms and vehicles, exposing an international network supplying illegal weapons to Punjab, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Friday.
Those arrested have been identified as Asrat Kanth alias Sabi, Kamalpreet Singh alias Komal Bajwa, Pardeep Kumar alias Gora, and Gurmeet Raj alias Juneja.
Police teams have recovered four weapons including one China-made 7.65 mm Glock, two .30 bore pistols and one revolver along with four live cartridges and three magazines, besides impounding, two vehicles— Mahindra XUV (PB-09-3039) and Brezza (PB-09-EP-7100) used in commission of crime.
DGP Gaurav Yadav said that during questioning that the gang leader, Asrat Kanth alias Sabi, confessed that the seized weapons were supplied by Aman alias Anda, a key figure in the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria gang currently based in Germany.
The arms were funnelled through Sanju alias Sahil Kumar, a Batala resident who is currently incarcerated, he added.
The DGP said that the arrested individuals are linked to multiple criminal cases, including attempted murder, illegal arms possession, and gang-related violence across various districts in Punjab.
Sharing operation details, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Jalandhar Rural Harkamalpreet Singh Khakh, while addressing a press conference, said that police teams have received a reliable input that suspects were travelling in two vehicles, a Mahindra XUV and a Maruti Brezza.
Acting swiftly, the police team led by Incharge CIA staff Jalandhar Rural and SHO Bhogpur Sikander Singh laid a naka near Lahdra village, he said, while adding that Police teams managed to stop Brezza, resulting in the immediate arrest of Sabi and Komal Bajwa.
However, the persons’ in XUV managed to break through the blockade, leading to a chase that ended near Jinda Road in Maqsuda, where Gora and Juneja were apprehended, he added. A fifth suspect, Sajandeep alias Loda, managed to escape and remain at large.
He said that the gang had previously been involved in a deadly shootout at Batala’s Gandhi Camp on July 23, where a rival gang member, Yudveer alias Yodha, was killed and another, Rahul Datar, critically injured.
SSP Khakh, lauded the efforts of the police teams led by SP Special Branch Jalandhar (D) Manpreet Singh Dhillon and DSP Adampur Sub-Division Sumit Sood. “This operation is a significant success in our ongoing efforts to curb gang activity in the region,” he said.
Meanwhile, the accused will be produced before a local court, where the police will seek further remand to deepen the investigation into the gang’s operations and international connections.
