Willing to surrender but fear for my life, claims wanted gangster Bhuppi
BATHINDA: A day after a senior Punjab Police official met families of gangsters in Sangrur and said the force will help those with criminal background join the mainstream, a wanted gangster on Sunday claimed that cops were harassing his family.
The gangster, Bhupinder Singh alias Bhuppi Rana of Jodhpur village in SAS Nagar, contacted HT and said he fears that police may kill him in a fake encounter if he surrenders.
Bhupi is one the “dreaded gangsters” whose posters police have put up at various places. He claimed a team of SAS Nagar police on June 6 went to his house and vandalised it. He sent a video clip of policemen entering his house forcefully and smashing windowpanes. He said some policemen had also demolished the wall of his house with a JCB and took away his uncle’s tractor on May 22.
‘BEING TARGETED DUE TO SAD AFFILIATION’ Bhuppi said he was being targeted because of his affiliation with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). He said he was named as an accused in an attempt to murder case in February. Bhuppi said he is willing to surrender but an honest officer should probe his case. He feared that his rivals might try to eliminate him shot during court proceedings.
“The police gave statements to the media hinting at my involvement in the bank van robbery in Banur,” he said, adding he was an eyewitness in the murder of Mushtaq of Zirakpur and some people did not want him to record his statement in court.
SSP DENIES CLAIM
SAS Nagar (SSP) Kuldeep Chahal said police never vandalised Bhuppi’s house and they had gone there to check his whereabouts as he is wanted in cases involving heinous crimes. “We have asked the enforcement directorate (ED) to attach his properties.”