The police have arrested two associates of foreign-based gangsters Doni Bal and Arsh Bagga. They were allegedly planning to intimidate wealthy businessmen in the city to extort money.
The accused have been identified as Sukhwinder Singh, alias Raji Neela, and Rajveer Singh, alias Raji. Both are residents of Mullanpur Dakha, near Baddowal. Two .30-bore pistols, nine live cartridges and a bike have been recovered from them.
Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, Additional DCP-3 Dev Singh said the police had received information that two henchmen of gangsters Doni Bal and Arsh Bagga were planning to target certain individuals and businessmen in the city. With the help of human intelligence, the police arrested both of them from Baddowal village.
The police are interrogating them to know their specific targets. Cops are also examining their mobile phones to gather technical evidence about their connection with the foreign-based gangsters.
During preliminary investigation, the police found that the two youths had been in touch with the two gangsters via Telegram for the past few days. They were planning to commit a crime on the night of June 17, but were apprehended by cops. The accused were produced in a court, which remanded them in two-day custody, said the ADCP, adding that their further interrogation could reveal the activities of the two gangsters in the state and lead to more recoveries.
The police claimed that both of them were drug addicts and received payments from the gangsters after fulfilling the assigned tasks.
In February this year, the Ludhiana police had booked Doni Bal after an extortion of Rs 2 crore was demanded in his name from Jagjit Singh, a local businessman.
About gangster Doni Bal
Balwinder Singh, alias Doni Bal, of Pati Balel village in Amritsar is one of the main handlers of the Gopi Ghanshampuria Gang (Mann Ghanshampuria-Doni Bal faction) and is also associated with the Bambiha gang.
He has at least 32 cases registered against him for various offences, including murder, attempt to murder, extortion, arms smuggling, robbery and dacoity. He was allegedly involved in the killing of gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria’s mother and cousin Karanbir Singh.
Doni Bal is suspected to be hiding in the United Kingdom from where he continues to run extortion rackets through his accomplices.
