The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has attached three properties owned by members of organised crime syndicates in Delhi and Haryana, as part of its probe into a terrorist-gangster-drug smuggler network having links with “listed individual terrorist” Arshdeep Singh Gill, alias Arsh Dalla, and other foreign-based terrorists.
The action has been taken based on the information gathered during the searches across 129 locations in and around Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat on May 17.
The attached properties include a house of Irfan, alias Chhenu Pehalwan, in Delhi and two houses belonging to Kaushal Chaudhary and Amit Dagar in Haryana’s Gurugram.
“Irfan @ Chhenu Pehalwan had been involved in multiple criminal cases of murder and extortion, besides being a supplier of all types of logistics support, including men and material (arms and ammunition), to the notorious Bambiha gang. He had provided safe haven to the gang’s absconding associates on the instructions of Kaushal Chaudhary, Bhupi Rana and other key operatives of the gang...,” said the NIA.
Accused Choudhary and Dagar — closely associated with foreign-based Arsh Dalla and one gangster named Gaurab Patyal — were involved in extortion, threatening and killing of businessmen. They also targeted singers and sportspersons, and even arranged weapons for violent/terrorist activities.
Dalla had been earlier designated an “individual terrorist” by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
In August 2022, the NIA registered cases against three major organised crime syndicates under the UAPA. These syndicates were spreading their networks in the northern States and were involved in the commission of heinous crimes, such as the murder of popular singer Sidhu Moosewala and extortion of protection money from businessmen and professionals.
The crimes included the killing of Maharashtra builder Sanjay Biyani and Sandeep Nangal Ambia, an international kabbadi organiser in Punjab. They were planned by the masterminds operating from countries such as Pakistan and Canada, or by leaders of criminal syndicates lodged in Indian prisons.
