Gangster with terror links caught in Doraha drug bust

Ludhiana: A wanted gangster, with links to Khalistan Liberation Force terrorist Kashmir Singh Galwaddi and who has been a three-time national champion in boxing, was arrested along with two others during a drug bust involving 260 grams of heroin near Doraha on Friday.

Apart from the drugs, Khanna resident Sukhwinder Singh Soni, alias Boxer, was caught with a pistol (.9mm), one magazine and six live cartridges.

His accomplices have been identified as Vishal Kumar alias Kaka of Khanna and Jasdeep Singh Koki of Patiala. While Kaka was found in possession of a .32-bore pistol, a magazine, four live cartridges and .12-bore rifle, Koki was carrying a .32-bore pistol, two magazines and 10 live cartridges.

The three were travelling in a white-coloured Hyundai Verna. On the basis of inputs provided by the trio, police arrested Iqbalpreet Singh of Fatehgarh Sahib district with six grams of heroin. Ludhiana range DIG Ranbir Singh said they had gotten a tip-off that Boxer, Kaka, Koki, Iqbalpreet and three others were travelling in a car on the Neelon Canal Road with the heroin consignment.

On the basis of the tip-off, they laid a check post near Canal Bridge, Rampur. When police intercepted the car and checked it, they found the weapons and the drugs.

The accused, said the DIG, had been supplying heroin in Mohali, Sirhind, Fatehgarh Sahib, Khanna and Doraha.

Police said Boxer, who has been given the nickname for his background in the sport, had previously been arrested for possession of 3kg of the explosive RDX and had then been booked for criminal conspiracy, and under the Arms Act and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act at Banga police station. Police were yet to confirm if the accused had been convicted or let off in the case.

The DGP said Boxer was on good terms with Galwaddi, who had escaped during the Nabha jailbreak in 2017 and was still wanted by police.

The DGP said Boxer, a friend of gangster Harinder Singh ‘Rinda’ of Nanded, was facing 11 other cases, including those of murer. Boxer, claimed the DGP, had told the police that Rinda told him to buy an AK-47 assault rifle, following which he had been trying to make contacts links in Jammu and Kashmir. “Boxer, who was also using the alias ‘Nihang Bana’, would supply heroin in the areas of Punjab. He and his accomplishes had a plan to commit a major crime in the Punjab, but our team has caught him. He is also a proclaimed offender in case of unnatural sex with a minor. The case, dating to 2016, has been registered in Mohali,” said the DGP. “All of them have links in Delhi and would buy the heroin from there, and supply it across Punjab,” he said.

Police are on the lookout for the accomplices of the accused — Bahadur Singh of Kurali in SAS Nagar district and Ramandeep Singh Bhau of Makhu in Fatehgarh Sahib district. The DGP said the duo would be arrested shortly.

The DGP said Iqbalpreet was facing six more police cases, of keeping illegal weapons and robber.

Khanna SSP said the accused were still being questioned and there was a possibility of major disclosures by them.

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Police said Boxer has been given the nickname for his background in the sport of boxing and he had previously been arrested for possession of 3kg of the explosive RDX

He had then been booked for criminal conspiracy, and under the Arms Act and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act at Banga police station in that case, but it was yet to be confirmed if he was convicted or let off in the case

Boxer is said to be on good terms with Khalistan Liberation Force terrorist Kashmir Singh Galwaddi, who had escaped during the Nabha jailbreak in 2017

Boxer, a friend of gangster Harinder Singh ‘Rinda’ of Nanded, is facing 11 other cases

Boxer, said the DGP, had told the police that Rinda told him to buy an AK-47 assault rifle, following which he had been trying to make contacts links in Jammu and Kashmir