E-Paper
{Godara gang link surfaces} One nabbed for Oct 11 firing at visa consultancy office
Police arrested one suspect in a firing at a visa consultancy after a ₹1 crore extortion demand; alleged Godara gang links, weapon still missing.
Prefer HTon Google
(Blurb) Associate at large; no prior criminal record found, say police
Box:
No weapon recovery yet
- The firing took place at the office of Brightway Immigration on October 11. The owner had been receiving extortion calls for ₹1 crore.
- As he didn’t pay, two persons committed the crime. Deepak, who has been arrested, says his cousin from Delhi accompanied him during the firing.
- The accused got directions for the firing from two persons linked to Godara gang operating from abroad, say police. The weapon is yet to be recovered.
Ten days after two motorcycle-borne men opened fire at a visa consultancy office in Model Town Extension, the police have arrested one of the accused. According to investigators, the accused are linked to the Rohit Godara gang through two foreign-based operatives. The gang had demanded a ₹1 crore extortion from the immigration consultant, and the attack was the result of the victim’s refusal to pay.
The arrested accused has been identified as Deepak Kumar, 22, a resident of Hazuri Bagh Colony, while his cousin Gagandeep, a resident of Seelampur, Delhi, is on the run. During interrogation, Deepak told police that he and Gagandeep opened fire at the visa consultancy office on the directions of Varinder Charan from Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan, and Jagjit Singh from Butaheri, Ludhiana. The police have also booked Varinder Charan and Jagjit Singh based on the information provided by the arrested accused. Both Charan and Singh are linked to the Godara gang and are currently operating from abroad.
The police have recovered the motorcycle used in the crime, though the weapon is yet to be traced. Deputy commissioner of police (investigation) Harpal Singh stated that Varinder Charan and Jagjit Singh paid ₹40,000 to Deepak and Gagandeep for the task. The weapon used in the crime was also provided by the gang.
The DCP added that no prior criminal record of the accused was found. Deepak, a matriculate, is jobless. The incident occurred late on the night of October 11, when two men arrived on a motorcycle outside Brightway Immigration. One of them allegedly fired two to three rounds at the building while his accomplice recorded the act on a mobile phone, before both fled.
The incident came to light the following morning when employees found a shattered windowpane and informed the police. Investigators recovered spent bullet shells and live rounds from outside the premises and examined CCTV footage to identify the suspects.
The consultancy owner, Bhanav Ahuja, stated that he had been receiving extortion calls and threats for around four months. Following his statement, the Model Town police registered an FIR under Sections 125 (act endangering life or personal safety), 324(4) (mischief) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with Sections 25, 27, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act.
