Police struggling to trace origin of AK-47

GHAZIABAD: The UP special task force and the police have yet to trace the origin of the AK-47 and the US-made carbine recovered after the attack on BJP leader Brijpal

GHAZIABAD: The UP special task force and the police have yet to trace the origin of the AK-47 and the US-made carbine recovered after the attack on BJP leader Brijpal Teotia.

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Officials are relying on the version of the prime accused, Manish, who told officials that the weapons belonged to his father Suresh Diwan.

Manish said his father became friendly with slain gangster Rakesh Hasanpuriya at Dasna jail in Ghaziabad. Suresh was jailed in connection with a triple murder in 1997 at Masuri in Ghaziabad.

“The criminals in 1980-90s always kept their weapons with their loyalists. The serial numbers of such weapons are generally rubbed so they can’t be traced. It is believed the dreaded Satbir Gurjar gang had 5-6 AK-47s and carbines. Rakesh was also part of this gang and befriended Suresh Diwan in Dasna jail. Manish said the weapons used in the attack on Teotia belonged to Rakesh, who had given these to Suresh,”a task force source said.

The officials said after Diwan was murdered in 1999, the weapons were handed to one Sansar Singh who is the brother-in-law of Manoj, Manish’s cousin. Rakesh Hasanpuriya was killed in a police encounter in April 2005 at Kavi Nagar in Ghaziabad.

“When Manish sought Sansar Singh’s help, Manoj got the weapons from Singh. The weapon was rusted. Manish used a metallic spray to fine-tune it and also fired 5-6 rounds in the jungles of Mehrauli village.

“The weapons were with him for the past four months. Even Sansar Singh and Manoj agreed to help Manish,” the source said.

“We will do whatever possible to trace the origin of the weapons,” said Amit Pathak, senior superintendent of police (UP – STF).