3 held for running arms racket from Nabha jail

PATIALA : The police unearthed an illegal arms smuggling nexus being operated by A-category gangster Rajeev Raja from the new jail in the Nabha sub-division of the district on Monday. The police have also arrested three accomplices of Raja and recovered five pistols and 20 live cartridges from their possession.

The accused have been identified as Tarun Kumar (21), Jasdeep Singh (20), both residents of Patiala, and Sukhwinder Singh of Torewal village in SAS Nagar.

Superintendent of police Mehtab Singh said CIA in-charge Shaminder Singh carried a special operation on the basis of vital information related to gangster Raja smuggling and providing illegal weapons to notorious elements in the state.

“The CIA team zeroed in on

Tarun and Jasdeep, who are among the close contacts of Raja. During interrogation, both accused confessed to working in connivance with Raja, who is facing nearly 34 cases,” he said.

The CIA in-charge said Tarun along with his father Ranjeet Jeeta were working with Raja for over a year as they spent a few months in jail with him in an Arms Act case registered in SAS Nagar.

“During the investigation, it also came to the fore that they were to smuggle one of the weapons to Sukhwinder Singh, who is also arrested in the case. We will bring Raja on production warrant for further investigation into the matter,” said the CIA in-charge.

Police said Tarun’s father is absconding as the teams have been rushed to arrest him.

A case under the Arms Act has been registered against the accused at the Passiana police station.