Arms smuggling: Jail inmate to be brought on production warrant

PK Jaiswar

Amritsar, December 1

The Maqboolpura police would bring notorious criminal Keshav lodged in Amritsar Central Jail on production warrant in connection with the seizure of 10 country-made pistols from a key member of Jaggu Bhagwanpuria gang identified as Jaspreet Singh, alias Jassi (19), a resident of Shaheed Udham Singh Nagar here.

Investigation revealed that Jassi was in touch with Keshav and he had directed him to bring the weapon consignment from Madhya Pradesh.

A senior police official privy to the investigation confirmed the development. “His arrest would help the police in identifying other members of the interstate arms smuggling gang backed by Bhagwanpuria,” said a police official wishing not to be named.

Keshav had several criminal cases including of murder bid, kidnapping and Arms Act registered against him. His name also figured in the incident in which a trader was abducted and Rs 10 lakh extortion was sought in February this year. He was booked for assaulting another criminal Sonu Mota. He was arrested from Jammu earlier this year.

On Wednesday, Jassi was nabbed with 10 pistols of .32 bore calibre, a backpack and a Platina motorcycle bearing registration No. PB46-U-2249.

Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, Police Commissioner (CP), said the police got secret information about illegal weapons being smuggled from Madhya Pradesh for supplying these to criminal elements in the state. He said a police team under the supervision of Abhimanyu Rana, ADCP, City-3, launched a special operation and apprehended Jassi from the Maqboolpura area when he was driving a motorcycle.

The probe revealed that Jassi received money through ‘Hawala’ from his foreign-based accomplice to buy arms from Madhya Pradesh. It was also found that the gang was hatching a conspiracy to target their rival gang members. Jassi was currently on police remand. He would be produced in a court on Sunday.