E-Paper
Ludhiana: 3 aides of gangster Rohit Godara held for extortion-linked firing
Two suspects were injured in brief exchange of fire with the police, weapons and motorcycle recovered
Three persons, allegedly linked to gangster Rohit Godara, were arrested after a brief exchange of fire with police in the Ladian–Jassian area on Monday in connection with firing at a readymade garment shop in Civil City last week, following a ₹50 lakh extortion demand, police said, adding that two suspects sustained bullet injuries in the gunfight.
The arrested — Sumit Kumar, 19, Sumit alias Altron, alias Tunda, 21, and Sanju, 19 — are allegedly linked to the notorious gangster Rohit Godara, police said, with Sumit alias Altron being the brother of the deceased gangster Sagar Neutron.
Commissioner of police Swapan Sharma said a team from Haibowal police station, led by inspector Varinderpal Singh Uppal, had received specific intelligence about the suspects and laid a checkpoint in the area. On spotting the police, the accused tried to flee on a motorcycle, prompting a chase.
During the chase, the suspects allegedly opened fire at the police team. The cops retaliated and one bullet struck a police vehicle, while another grazed the turban of head constable Pardeep Singh.
Two of the accused, Sumit Kumar and Sanju, sustained bullet injuries and were admitted to Ludhiana civil hospital, while Sumit Altron, alias Tunda, was taken into custody. The third accused is being questioned, police said.
The police have recovered two .32 bore pistols with magazines, four live cartridges and a black motorcycle without a registration number from the spot. The motorcycle recovered from the accused did not have a registration number, which appeared to have been deliberately erased.
Officials said Sumit alias Altron and Sumit Kumar are already facing criminal cases.
The case is linked to an extortion attempt targeting garment trader Himanshu Handa, who had allegedly received a threatening call from a person claiming to be Mahinder Dhalana, as a close aide of Rohit Godara. After the trader refused to pay, gunshots were fired at his shop on January 6.
Commissioner Sharma said a probe is underway to trace more associates of the gang.
