Jalandhar, March 19: Continuing its crackdown on gangsters for ensuring the smooth conduct of general elections, Counter Intelligence Wing along with Jalandhar Rural Police on Tuesday arrested Cobra gang’s head Iqbal Singh Afridi with illegal arms and ammunition in Maqsudan.
The Police have also seized a .32 bore revolver, 17 live cartridges from a specially-designed compartment near gearbox of Toyota Corolla car in which Afridi was travelling.
In a release , AIG (Counter Intelligence) Harkamalpreet Singh Khakh said Afridi is a notorious gangster of the Majha region and was involved in more than 20 cases, including murder, attempt to murder, gangwar, extortion and besides others. Afridi had also allegedly stripped a woman in Fatehabad township, besides a gangwar case in Goindwal Sahib area of Tarn Taran district in which four persons were killed. He was declared proclaimed offender (PO) in many cases and wanted by Mohali and Tarn Taran police.
Khakh said counter intelligence got a tip-off that absconding gangster Iqbal Singh Afridi is heading towards Jalandhar in his car to meet his relatives.
Acting swiftly on the information, AIG Khakh said he immediately shared this information with Jalandhar (rural) SSP Navjot Singh Mahal and formed a joint team of counter intelligence officials and personnel from Maqsudan police station to arrest him.
The team, during checking, stopped a car on suspicion and arrested the gangster along with illegal weapon and ammunition in Maqsudan.
The AIG said Afridi was a college dropout who later formed his armed gang named “Cobra Gang”. The gang was involved in several cases of extortion, murder and attempt to murder.
“Afridi unsuccessfuly tried to escape from police custody in 2007 while he was being taking to court. In 2009, he managed to escape from police custody,” the AIG added.
Khakh said Afridi was arrested in 2016 by Mohali Police. He came out on bail in January 2017 and continued with his criminal activities.
The AIG said on February 3, 2018, Afridi and his three associates allegedly stripped a woman naked in Fatehbad township in Tarn Taran. A case was registered against them on the complaint of the victim’s husband.
He said the victim’s husband wanted to construct a gate at his house towards the common street. The accused in a fit of rage went to the victim’s house and attacked him. When his wife came to his rescue, the accused allegedly stripped her naked.
In August 2018, in Goindwal Sahib, Afridi was involved in a gangwar in which three gangsters and a rickshaw puller who was passing by were killed.
Khakh added that Afridi had a very lavish lifestyle. He was driving Toyota Corolla car and had good income sources.
He has partnership in three liquor venders and also has fishing contracts in the Harike area. Besides, Afridi was into cricket betting and had links in the betting world.
Khakh said all these angles will also be explored during his further interrogation.
A case has been registered against him under Arms Act for carrying illegal weapons and police are working on information he has divulged during his preliminary interrogation.
He said the arrested gangster will be produced before the Magistrate and the police will seek his remand to get the information and arrest the others linked to his Cobra gang.
