Joint team to probe activities of Chota Rajan's gang: Kharge

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, AUG. 2. The Home Minister, Mr. Mallikarjun Kharge, has said that the Bangalore and Mumbai police would jointly investigate the activities of some members of the Chota Rajan gang in Bangalore.

Three members of the gang were killed in an encounter with a police team consisting officers of the two cities on Wednesday night while they were on their way to the Bangalore Airport to board a flight to Bangkok where Chota Rajan is believed to have taken refuge sometime ago.

Each one of the killed was said to be a specialist in his field of activity and at least one of them, Jagadish Shetty, was a close associate of Chota Rajan.

Mr. Kharge said it was an excellent effort of the police team which led to the interception of the car in which the gang members were proceeding to the airport. The three were killed in an exchange of fire with the police. Doctors at the Bowring Hospital pronounced them dead soon after the injured gangsters were brought there.

Mr. Kharge said: ``the police opened fire since they had no other choice.'' The gangsters, instead of surrendering, opened fire on the officers. They were close associates of Chota Rajan and were involved in cases of murder, dacoities, extortion etc., in Mumbai and Gujarat, he added.

The Bangalore Police, with the cooperation of the Mumbai Police, would ascertain the operations of the gang in Bangalore apart from knowing what had brought them to the City, who had bought their air tickets and who had played host to them and borne their expenditure. Fake passports, air tickets, two pistols and a revolver were recovered by the police.

Meanwhile, in appreciation of its work, the Government has announced a cash reward of Rs.1 lakh to the police team.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Southern States
Previous : Two Bills on municipal taxation adopted
Next     : Additional Chief Secy. to probe KMF
           'irregularities'