DW BUREAU / Chandigarh

Punjab Police on Tuesday said it has arrested two operatives of the Lawrence Bishnoi-Rohit Godara gang and recovered a pistol from their possession.

Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said those arrested have been identified as Jashandeep Singh alias Jashan Sandhu, a resident of Sri Ganganagar district of Rajasthan and Gursewak Singh from Sri Muktsar Sahib.

Yadav said Jashan Sandhu was wanted in a 2023-murder case that took place in Rajasthan's Ganganagar and had been evading arrest by constantly changing locations across Georgia, Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia and Dubai. "Recently, on the directions of his handlers, Jashan came back to India and landed in Nepal from Dubai before entering India by road," he said.

Preliminary investigations revealed that Jashan played a crucial role in providing logistical support to the gang.

His interrogation has also led to the identification of overseas Hawala operators, travel agents, and the locations of fugitive gangsters hiding abroad, marking a significant step in dismantling these networks, he added.

Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) of Anti-Gangster Task Force Promod Ban said acting swiftly on a specific input about Jashan entering India by road after landing in Nepal, special operation teams successfully traced him along with his associate Gursewak, leading to their arrest from Mohali.

Police teams have recovered a .32 calibre pistol along with seven cartridges from their possession, he added.

Assistant Inspector General Gurmeet Chauhan said that preliminary investigations revealed that accused Gursewak came in contact with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang members through Jashan and was operating locally on their behalf.

"Their disclosures also revealed that Rohit Godara was planning to eliminate some prominent individuals in Punjab and New Delhi," he said, while adding that sensational crimes have been averted with their arrests.

(editor@dailyworld.in)