Gangster Rajan Bhatti got drugs, arms from Uganda

Tribune News Service

Mohali, February 9

Gangster Rajan Bhatti, 30, who was nabbed by a team of the State Special Operation Cell (SSOC), Mohali, yesterday, was in touch with Punjab-based heroin smugglers in Uganda.

The police said they provided him with consignments of heroin, illegal arms and ammunition, which he further smuggled to his associates across the state of Punjab. For the past sometime, Bhatti was residing at various hideouts in Mohali by changing his identity.

DIG J Elanchezhian said on receiving a tip-off about Bhatti, the SSOC teams nabbed him and recovered a .32 bore pistol, along with four live rounds. During further investigation, a .45 bore pistol, along with five live rounds, 270-gm heroin and Rs 7,97,000 drug money were recovered from his flat in Sector 70.

Bhatti was wanted in two cases under the NDPS Act and the Arms Act at the SSOC Mohali police station. In these cases, his associates Pardeep Singh, a resident of Moga, and Krishan Singh, a resident of Ferozepur, were arrested with heroin. In another case, Bhatti’s associates Harjasneet and Kamaljeet Singh, alias Prince, both residents of Bathinda, were arrested with illegal arms that belonged to him.

Bhatti, a native of Mustafabad Jattan village in Gurdaspur, is a key operative of Canada-based terrorist Lakhbir Singh, alias Landa Harike. Landa has operated various target killing and extortion modules in Punjab.

Bhatti’s criminal enterprise primarily revolved around illegal smuggling of heroin and arms and ammunition. There are over 20 cases of NDPS Act, Arms Act, extortion and attempt to murder registered against Bhatti in Punjab, Chandigarh and Delhi. He was declared proclaimed offender in more than five cases in Punjab and Chandigarh. He was also involved in a firing incident on DSP Jagbir Singh of the Chandigarh Police. Bhatti was produced in the court today around 4 pm and sent to five day police remand.

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