U.P. Police to attach gangster Sushil Mooch’s properties worth ₹90 cr

Police have already identified properties worth ₹90 crore in his native city Muzaffarnagar, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Ghaziabad, and other places.

LUCKNOW Continuing its crackdown against mafias, the Uttar Pradesh Police is set to initiate major action against elusive west U.P. gangster Sushil Mooch. Police have already identified properties worth ₹90 crore in his native city Muzaffarnagar, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Ghaziabad, and other places. These properties, which are in the name of his family members, will soon be attached under the provisions of the U.P. Gangster Act. The procedure for the same has already been set in motion, said officials.

These properties are in the name of his family members. (HT Photo)

“Notices have been put up at all these properties and further action has been initiated to finally attach them all,” said Muzaffarnagar police spokesperson. A police official that said as many as 15 such properties -- including school buildings, petrol pumps, orchards, residential lands as well as agricultural lands -- have been identified by the Muzaffarnagar police after three months of marathon drive. He said at least 49 criminal cases of murder, attempt to murder, loot, dacoity, and U.P. Gangster Act have been lodged against Mooch in over two decades.

The police official pointed out that Mooch was arrested in one of these cases and was bailed out from jail in October 2022 and was at his home in Muzaffarnagar. He said police were keeping vigil on him but he suddenly disappeared on December 21, 2022. “Mooch is believed to operating his gang while sitting in Bangkok or Australia. He left the country as he has realised that he is continuously on U.P. Police radar and it will not be possible for him to continue his nefarious activities while staying here,” he added.

Sharing further details, the official said that properties worth ₹90 crore also included a property worth ₹11 crore that was attached earlier by the Muzaffarnagar police on June 9 earlier this year. He said this property was in the name of his maternal cousin Anil Rathi. He said the process of attachment of properties has been initiated under the provision of the Gangster Act that allows the law enforcement agency to seize properties of a person procured through criminal activities.

Earlier on July 1, U.P. Police Special Director General (Law and Order), Prashant Kumar, had said that the state police unit has initiated stern action against the top 69 listed gangsters and their 1,153 gang members in the past three and half years. He said properties worth ₹3,516 were seized, demolished, and freed during this process while 55 other criminals were sentenced to imprisonment for different terms through courts while 16 criminals have been gunned down in police encounters.