Jalandhar, March 19, 2019: Continuing its crackdown on the gangsters for ensuring the smooth conduct of general elections, Counter Intelligence Wing along with Jalandhar Rural Police on Monday arrested the the kingpin of infamous Cobra Gang, Iqbal Singh Afridi along with illegal arms and ammunition in Maqsudan.
The Police have also seized. 32 bore revolver, 17 live cartridges from a specially designed compartment near Gearbox of Toyota Corolla Car he was travelling.
AIG Counter Intelligence, Harkamalpreet Singh Khakh said that Afridi is a notorious gangster of Majha Region and was involved in more than 20 cases including of murder, attempt to murder, gang wars, extortion and others. Afridi had also allegedly stripped a woman in Fatehabad Township, Gang war case in Goindwal Sahib area of Tarn Taran district in which four persons were killed.
He is a proclaimed offender (PO) in many cases and wanted by Mohali and Tarn Taran police .
Khakh said that Counter Intelligence got a tip-off that absconded gangster Iqbal Singh Afridi is heading towards Jalandhar in his Toyota corolla car to meet his maternal parents .
Acting swiftly on the information, AIG Khakh said that he immediately shared this information with SSP Jalandhar rural Mr.Navjot Singh Mahal and formed a joint team of Counter intelligence officials and a team of Police station Maqsudan to arrest him.
The team during checking stopped a suspected car and arrested the gangster along with illegal weapon and ammunition in Maqsudan.
Divulging more details, AIG Khakh said that Afridi was a college dropout and later formed his armed gang named “Cobra Gang” and remained involved in several cases of extortion, murder and attempt to murder.
“Afridi tried to escape from police custody in the year 2007 while he was taking to legal proceedings in Court but failed but in year 2009, he successfully managed to escape from police custody ”, he added.
The AIG added that, Afridi was later arrested in 2016 by Mohali Police and he came out on bail in January 2017, but he did not stop his criminal activities after coming out from jail too.
AIG further explained that on February 3, 2018, Gangster Afridi and his three associates allegedly stripped a woman naked in Fatehbad Township in district Tarn Taran. A case was registered against them on the complaint of victim' husband under sections 452, 323, 354-B, 506 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act.
He said that 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.
In August 2018, in Goindwal Sahib, Afridi was involved in a gang war in which three gangsters and a rickshaw puller who was passer by were killed.
Revolver hidden in gangster's Toyata Corolla recovered by Counter-Intelligence Wing
Revealing about incident, Khakh said that Afridi’s close associate Prabhjeet Malhi’s mother was contesting panchayat elections for Sarpanchi with Sahilpreet Malhi , both resident of village Hansawala of Tarn Taran district. As Prabhjit was backed by Afridi as he was also against Sahil Malhi due to an old enmity, Prabhjit along with his aides Afridi came near Gurudwara Baouli Sahib in a military coloured Thar jeep and indulged in a verbal duel with another gang lead by Sahil Malhi after that the gang members opened indiscriminate firing on each other from their .315-bore rifles and .32-bore revolvers. More than 50 rounds were fired from both sides which results the death of four. A passer by rickshaw puller was also killed during cross firing .
AIG Khakh also told that Afridi was living a very lavish life style. He was using Toyota Corolla car and had good income sources.
Khakh also disclosed that Afridi has partnership in three liquor venders and also has contracts of fishing in Harike area. He is a big fish of cricket betting and has link-ups with betting world.
He said that all these angles will also be explored during his further interrogation .
A case has been registered against him in police station Maqsudan under arms act for carrying illegal weapons and police teams are developing the information revealed by him during his preliminary interrogation.
The AIG said that the arrested gangster will be produced before the Magistrate by police and the police will seek his remand to get the information and arrest the other gangsters linked to his Cobra Gang.