In a major breakthrough against organised crime, Anti Gangster Task Force (AGTF) in a joint-operation with SAS Nagar Police busted a module being operated by foreign based handlers Pavitar USA and Manjinder France with the arrest of their key operative identified as Navjot Singh alias Jota and three Rajasthan-based illegal weapon suppliers, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Friday.
Three arrested weapon suppliers have been identified as Mohammad Asif and Bhanu Sisodia and Anil Kumar, all residents of district Balotra in Rajasthan. The three arrested Rajasthan-based weapon suppliers have a criminal history, while accused Navjot alias Jota has 21 cases of heinous crimes pertaining to attempt to murder, robbery, snatching, NDPS and Arms act related offences registered against him.
DGP Gaurav Yadav said that the consignment containing two pistols including one sophisticated automatic .32 calibre pistol along with eight live cartridges was also recovered from their possession. The consignment was supposed to be delivered to the accused Navjot Jota, he added.
He said that preliminary investigations have revealed that accused Navjot Singh alias Jota was tasked to eliminate a recently bailed out rival gangster and one travel agent by his foreign-based handlers. Further investigations are on to establish backward and forward linkages in these cases, said the DGP.
Sharing operation details, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) SAS Nagar Deepak Pareek said that an input was received about members of a Rajasthan-based arms trafficking gang were entering Punjab in order to deliver a consignment to their associates in the state.
Acting on the input, an operation was planned and joint teams of AGTF Punjab and SAS Nagar Police laid a special naka near Focal point at Dera Bassi-Mubarakpur road and successfully arrested four accused along with the consignment containing the weapons, he said, while adding that Gangster Navjot alias Jota had come to to receive the consignment.
The SSP said that further investigations are on and more arrests are expected in coming days. A case FIR no 313 has been registered under sections 25(6) and 25(7) of Arms Act at Police Station Dera Bassi.