Five of Haryana gang held for firing in Chandigarh

The accused confessed that they wanted to extend their influence in Chandigarh by spreading terror and planned to extort money from traders

After making two arrests, police have managed to nab the remaining three men who vandalised vehicles and opened fire at Sector 38 (West) on the morning of April 8. They belong to a Haryana-based gang, said the police.

The men had vandalised vehicles and opened fire at Sector 38 (West), Chandigarh, on the morning of April 8. (Representational picture)

While Raj Kumar, 24, of Dadumajra and Abhishek, 23, from Sector 25 were nabbed earlier, the other three accused arrested later are Monu alias Marodi, 24, also from Sector 25, Mukesh alias Gullu, 25, and Harshdeep, 26, both from Haryana’s Gohana.

They were caught on Saturday and the weapon used in firing was also recovered. Monu is also involved in 20 other cases, the police said.

The members of the gang from Sonepat’s Gohana, the police said, were previously named in murder, highway robbery and attempt to murder cases.

Upon interrogation, the accused confessed that they had planned to extend their influence in Chandigarh by spreading terror and conspired to extort money from patriwalas, meat sellers and shopkeepers. Immediately after this incident, they had returned to Haryana to execute another murder, the cops said.

Besides the countrymade pistol used on April 8, the police have also recovered two similar guns and a sword.

The complainant, Davinder of Sector 38 (west), had said that at least five inebriated persons, who were in a white Mahindra Scorpio bearing a Haryana registration number, smashed the windscreens of his Tata Safari and his neighbour’s Maruti Zen. The vehicles were parked outside their houses.

Closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage showed two suspects carrying a stick and a sword, while another was pelting stones at the vehicles.

A case under sections 147 (rioting), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence commit­ted in prosecution of common object), 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others), 427 (mischief causing damage), and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC was registered initially, while Section 307 (attempt to murder) and provisions under the Arms Act were added to the FIR later. The accused were produced in a court on Sunday and sent to two-day police remand.