CRPF constable involved in series of crimes arrested

NEW DELHI - A CRPF constable of the anti-Maoist battalion ‘Cobra’ was one of the four people arrested in the capital for alleged involvement in a series of crimes masterminded by gang leaders lodged in a Gurgaon jail, police said Friday.

Accused Narender Kumar Yadav (23), Sandeep Chhikara (22), Dharambir Lochab (22) and Pradeep Sehrawat (18) were arrested from Kanjhawala Chowk in west Delhi on Wednesday.

According to police, Yadav, who has passed electrical trade course from PUSA Institute, is a constable in the Central Reserve Police Force from 2006 and was recently posted in Gaya in the Cobra battalion, the anti-Maoist wing of the paramilitary force.

“With their arrests, the investigators have cracked a gang of inter-state criminals of Sandeep Chitaniya-Manjeet Gang operating from Bhondsi Jail. The arrest also solved five cases of attempt to murder, firing and demand of ransom committed in Gurgaon (Haryana), Bulandshahar and Mathura (Uttar Pradesh), and Pilani, Jhunjhunu (Rajasthan),” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer) Chhaya Sharma said.

The police also recovered three country made pistols with 5 live cartridges and a motorcycle used in the crimes.

“We received an input that the gang leaders have formed a group of sharp shooters to operate in Delhi, Harayana, UP and Rajasthan. Despite being lodged in jail, they managed weapons for sharp shooters to extort money and eliminate witnesses in their pending cases,” added Sharma.

“It also came to light that these criminals were planning to escape from police custody while being escorted to courts,” she informed.

Yadav knew one of the gang leaders operating from the jail, Neetu Dabodhia, for the past eight years.

“Yadav met with an accident in Rohtak then and Dabodhia helped him. Since then Yadav was in contact with him and repeatedly visited Bhondsi jail, Gurgaon to meet him. In this process, he was also introduced to Chitaniya, Manoj Bakarwara (a notorious car thief) and Manjeet,” Sharma said.