Gangster Baljit Chaudhary, 2 aides held with illegal weapons

Wanted in 10 criminal cases, including the murder of a chartered accountant in Kharar, Punjab; firing at Government College and Hospital, Sector 32, and the rape of a model in Sector 11, both in Chandigarh, gangster Baljit Chaudhary was finally arrested by the State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) of Punjab Police on the Sirhind-Delhi highway on Monday. Two of his aides nabbed later include Gurpreet Singh alias Pamma of Mastgarh village here and Vikas Kumar of Dadumajra in Chandigarh.

Two illegal .32 revolvers with 20 live cartridges were recovered from the trio, said additional inspector general, counter intelligence wing, Varinder Paul Singh in Mohali.

Police tipped off

Following a tip-off about Chaudhary’s movement in Mohali and Fatehgarh Sahib areas, various teams led by counter intelligence wing deputy superintendent of police Gurcharan Singh were set up to track him down.

Chaudhary, a resident of Mundia Kalan in Ludhiana and once an active member of Punjab University Students’ Union, was in his vehicle when he was caught at the police blockade on the Sirhind-Delhi highway.

He was reportedly on his way to visit Pamma and Vikas in Rajpura for picking up ammunition from them before going to Delhi. One revolver and 15 cartridges were recovered from Chaudhary and the other one with five cartridges from the aides, who were later nabbed on the Rajpura-Delhi highway.

Police remand

Gurcharan Singh said the accused were produced in a Mohali court and sent to three-day police remand as they had to be questioned in other cases and about other accomplices.

Chaudhary has been named in the case involving the murder of chartered accountant Arun Sharma in Kharar, firing at GMCH-Sector 32, Chandigarh and the model’s rape, also in Chandigarh.

A fresh case was registered against the suspects under Sections 25-54-59 of the Arms Act at the SSOC Police Station in Phase 1 here.