Punjab police arrest two associates of gangster Rajan Bhatti from Bathinda

Chandigarh, Nov 24 (PTI) Punjab Police on Thursday said they have arrested two associates of gangster Rajan Bhatti from Bathinda with guns in their possession.

Bhatti, a resident of village Mustafabad Jatta in Gurdaspur, is a close-aide of Canada-based terrorist Lakhbir Singh alias Landa, and assists him with smuggling of narcotics and weapons, said a Punjab police statement.

Those arrested have been identified as Harjasneet Singh (32) of village Kot Shamir in Bathinda and Kamaljeet Singh (26) of village Gulabgarh of Bathinda.

Police have also recovered two illegal weapons including a .315 bore rifle and a .30 bore star make pistol along with ammunition from their possession, it said.

Divulging details about the arrest, Additional police IG, State Special Operation Cell (SSOC), Ashwani Kapur said that during investigation in a case against Lakhbir Landa for disturbing peace and harmony in the state, Rajan Bhatti was found to be in direct contact with Landa and carrying out illegal activities on his behest.

Landa and some of his associates had been booked in August under several provisions of the IPC and the Arms Act at Police Station SSOC, SAS Nagar district.

Kapur said that Bhatti, who has a notorious past and has several cases against him including attempt to murder, and possession of illegal arms and drugs, in Chandigarh and Punjab, had been put on the surveillance by the SSOC and police and his premises have been raided repeatedly since.

On Wednesday, a police party raided a locality in Bathinda from where two associates of Bhatti were apprehended carrying weapons, said the AIG.

He said that both of them were arrested for harbouring Bhatti and possessing illegal weapons.

Kapur said that Police teams are on manhunt to arrest Bhatti too and he will soon be behind the bars. PTI SUN VN VN