A Ludhiana-based hotelier has landed in trouble for sheltering active members of an extortion gang being run from Europe. Gang members here had been demanding extortion from big businessmen and industrialists in Punjab at the behest of their kingpin, Namit Sharma, who is suspected to be hiding in Portugal. The gang members were so daring that they even opened fire at the premises of people who refused to pay extortion.
The booked hotelier has been identified as Mohit Negi, owner of Hotel Royal Manor on Pakhowal Road.
Before or after any planned incident, all members of this gang were helped by Mohit Negi. They used to get shelter in rooms at his hotel. A case has been registered against accused Mohit Negi.
A senior police official said reliable information was received that Abhijit Singh alias Mand, 26, of Bhai Himmat Singh Nagar; Dugri resident Manya Sahni, 20, of Jawahar Camp; Ankush Yadav, 25, of Bhai Himmat Singh Nagar; Sukhman Singh; Yuvraj Singh alias Harman, 20, also from Dugri; and others unknown were active members of the Namit gang. At Namit’s behest, this gang extorts money in Ludhiana city and various cities of Punjab and sometimes fires on people while threatening to kill them. Several cases are registered against gang members at various police stations in Ludhiana city. As the gang was planning to target a big businessman in Ludhiana and other cities of Punjab, police acted swiftly on the information, registered a case at Sadar police station, and arrested Abhijit, Manya, Sukhman, and Ankush.
“Whenever gang members open fire at the premises of influential persons for extortion, or to oppose rival gang members, they used to stay at Hotel Royal Manor on Pakhowal Road in Ludhiana. The hotel owner, despite being aware of the criminal background and association of the accused with the Namit gang, used to shelter them by giving them rooms in his hotel. It was only after police arrested the four gang members yesterday that questioning of the suspects led to disclosures about the hotel owner’s role in harbouring the accused,” said a senior Ludhiana police official.
A case has been registered under Sections 223 for disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant, 249 for harbouring an offender, and 253 for harbouring an offender who has escaped from custody or whose apprehension has been ordered, of the BNS.
Sources said accused Manya, along with his aide, had also opened fire at Happy Rajput near Shingar Cinema on June 1 this month over a long-standing rivalry, but the latter escaped unhurt.
