M A I N   N E W S

Kale Kachhewale possess I-cards!
From Chander Parkash
Tribune News Service

BATHINDA, Sept 28 — In a unique modus operandi, members of Kale Kachhewale gang, involved in countless murders, dacoities and robberies in the state, have been possessing character certificates issued to them by District Magistrates, Executive Magistrates and school heads, identity cards of political parties, photographs with senior officials and politicians to escape from the police net.

Official sources said members of the Kale Kachhewale gang operating in Punjab for the last many years had also been maintaining the account books of the jewellery items and other valuables looted by them in various robberies and dacoities since 1969.

During day time these criminals would perform the show of juggler and act as fortune tellers and during night they would loot their victims in the pre-determined dwellings.

Dr Jatinder Kumar Jain, SSP, said these things came to light with the arrest of five more members of this gang from whom fire arms, sharp-edged weapons and about one kilogram of gold and silver had been recovered. They had confessed their involvement in 42 crimes.

Two uniforms of Army commandos of Jammu and Kashmir, 19 watches and a news clipping in Urdu language regarding their crime in Baramula district of Jammu and Kashmir was also recovered.

The police had identified eight jewellers who had been purchasing looted jewellery items from these criminals. These jewellers belonged to Sangrur, Amritsar, Faridkot and Patiala districts.

Most of the members of the gang belonging to the Kalandar tribe of Uttar Pradesh had performed in the bunglows of senior bureaucrats and police officers of state. These criminals had been maintaining albums of their photographs with the political and government dignitaries.

Five members who had been arrested by a special police team led by the DSP (R), Mr Jaspreet Singh Sidhu had been identified as Alla Rakha, Arafadil, Captain, Setha and a woman Sagceran.

With the money earned from the sale proceeds of looted jewellery items and other valuables, these criminals would purchase horses and mules of fine breed and after sometime, they would sell them in the cattle fair. The financial status of every individual within the community was being judged from the number of horses and mules, he possessed.

A criminal case against eight jewellers under Section 411 of the IPC would be registered. Dr Jain said during investigations, identity of more jewellers who had been purchasing the looted jewellery items would be established.

He said a message had been flashed to all schools and other public places regarding the modus operandi and identity of such criminals. Members of the Pardi tribe of Madhya Pradesh who were also known for their criminal tendencies had also been associated with these criminals in the various crimes.