Three alleged shooters of a newly formed Mathura-based gang, who were looking for targets in Delhi-NCR to carry out firing for extortion, have been arrested by the Special Cell, an officer said on Thursday.
The accused have been identified as gang head Kanha Singh Jadaun alias Kanha Thakur, 26, Suraj, 24 and Vallabha Charya, 30, the officer said.
The trio, allegedly followers of fugitive gangster Rohit Godara, were apprehended in Dwarka on the intervening night of July 29 and 30 while travelling in an SUV and searching for potential targets, police said.
Three pistols, including an automatic pistol and two single-shot pistols, along with 11 live cartridges, were recovered from their possession, a senior police officer said.
According to the police, the accused were members of a gang calling itself “Gangland”, which was recently formed in Mathura and headed by Jadaun. The gang members allegedly flaunted their criminal activities on social media and later started following the Rohit Godara gang.
“The Special Cell had gathered intelligence about the gang’s activities and learnt that its members were looking for ‘soft targets’ in Delhi-NCR, including offices and vehicles, where they could open fire and terrorise people for extortion,” said the police officer.
Based on a specific input, a trap was laid in Dwarka and the three men were apprehended before they could allegedly execute the plan. A case was registered and further investigation was launched.
The police said Jadaun, a graduate of Subodh College in Jaipur, was born in Mathura and later shifted with his family to Jaipur. He allegedly formed the Gangland gang with one Bhusan from Mathura and inducted Suraj and Vallabha Charya into it.
Jadaun has three previous cases registered against him, including murder and Arms Act cases in Jaipur, the police said, adding that in 2023, he and his associates allegedly killed a person in the city by running him over with a vehicle in a contract killing.
Suraj, a resident of Bharatpur, Rajasthan, has three previous cases registered against him, including attempt to murder and Arms Act offences.
Charya, who worked as a gym trainer and opened a gym in Jaipur in March this year, allegedly joined the gang after suffering losses in his business and looking for quick money, police said.
The officer said the arrests have averted possible incidents of extortion and firing in Delhi-NCR.
