Gangster Landa's aide among 4 arrested in kidnapping case

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, February 10

The police have arrested Vijay Kumar, an aide of Canada-based gangster Lakhbir Singh Landa, and three of his accomplices from Kartapur. They were wanted in the recent Kapurthala kidnapping and extortion case.

The suspects were arrested at a special naka on a tip-off. The police also seized illegal arms from them.

The four arrested suspects have been identified as Vijay Kumar, alias Toti, a resident of Bheekha Nangal in Kartarpur; Rahul, a resident of Basti Mithu in Jalandhar; Amardeep Singh, alias Patwari, a resident of Dhandor village in Patara, Jalandhar; and Suraj Singh, a resident of Basti Peerdad in Jalandhar.

Their arrest comes days after the Kapurthala police apprehended eight men in connection with the same kidnapping case.

Vijay Kumar has 18 previous cases registered against him. He was also wanted in a November 1, 2022, Arms Act case in Jalandhar and had been absconding since then. His name had also figured in two shooting cases.

The DGP, Gaurav Yadav, said Vijay, along with his gang members, was hatching a conspiracy to commit a crime in the Kartarpur area, which was prevented in time by the prompt action of the police.

The SSP, Jalandhar, Swarandeep Singh, said on February 8, a tip-off was received by the police that the four suspects were roaming on two motorcycles in the area to commit another crime. He said they carried illegal arms and had been issuing threats to people to extort money from them.

The SSP said acting on the information, a naka was laid on the Dugri drain bridge and four bike-borne men coming from the Rasoolpur village were signalled to stop by the police. On seeing the police, Vijay Kumar, Rahul, Amardeep Singh and Suraj Singh, who were riding on bikes, tried to return back but were arrested by the police.

The SSP said two countrymade .32 bore pistols, along with 10 live rounds and two magazines, one countrymade 9 mm pistol with two live rounds, one countrymade .12 bore pistol with one live round and two motorcycles – one were recovered from them.

Arrested gangsters Vijay Kumar and Amardeep, along with their associates, had kidnapped Lakhwinder Singh from Gazi Gudana village in Kapurthala and demanded Rs 3 crore ransom from his family, the SSP added.

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