Six special teams look for Punjab gangster, Rs 1 lakh reward for information

NEW DELHI: Delhi Police will give Rs 1 lakh for information leading to the arrest of Punjab-based gangster Lakhbir Singh alias Lakha Sidhana alias, one of the key accused in the January 26 Red Fort events. Police have also arrested three more suspects who assaulted police personnel that day.

The cops said on Saturday that six special teams of Crime Branch and Special Cell have been formed to hunt down the gangster. The reward was declared last week.

Sidhana is reportedly hiding with the protesters at Singhu border. A video had surfaced last week showing him at Tikri border, but sources said that was meant to mislead police.

“He belongs to Sidhana village in Punjab’s Bathinda district,” disclosed an officer. “One of the most dreaded gangsters of Punjab at one time, Sidhana is an accused in more than two dozen cases, including poll booth capturing, attempt to murder, murder, loot and possession of illegal weapons.”

Meanwhile, on Saturday, the Crime Branch took Deep Sidhu and Iqbal Singh, arrested earlier, to Red Fort to reconstruct what happened on Republic Day. They were also taken to other places, including Mandoli in Shahdara, since their mobile locations of the day had shown their presence there.

Meanwhile, the three men arrested by police in connection with the violence that took place during the farmers' tractor rally on January 26, have been sent to Tihar jail in judicial custody after presentation in a court. They are Sukhmeet Singh (35), Gundeep Singh (33) and Harvinder Singh (32).

Their arrests were for an attack on police personnel during the violent protests in north Delhi’s Burari. A group had been stopped at a barricade in Burari while on their way to Red Fort. The accused allegedly attacked the cops on the Burari flyover. At least 30, including paramilitary and external forces personnel, were injured in the attack.

Police have arrested 11 people in the case. The overall count of arrests has crossed 150, sources said. Farmers had violated the agreement on the routes to be taken by their tractor rally and entered central Delhi forcibly on Republic Day. Over 530 policemen were injured in the riotous events.