Gangster wanted for kidnapping realtor in 2016, and carrying a reward of ₹1 lakh, held

NEWDELHI: A 35-year-old gangster – carrying a reward of ₹1 lakh on his arrest– was held after a brief scuffle with the special cell of Delhi police on Friday.

Pradeep Rana alias Kala was wanted in a year-old abduction case of a real estate developer which he had executed along with his associates while he was on parole.

Police said Rana was also involved in other serious crimes – three contract killings and extortion from cable operators, bookies and property dealers.

Pramod Singh Kushwah, deputy commissioner of police (spe- cial cell), said his team received information that Rana would come near DND flyway on a motorcycle on Thursday evening. At around 5pm, the police blocked Rana’s way and asked him to surrender, but Rana took out his pistol. “Rana was overpowered before he could fire. The pistol with two cartridges and two sophisticated revolvers were recovered from his possession,” said Kushwah.

Interrogation of Rana, the DCP said, revealed that on August 13 last year, he, along with his three accomplices – Paramjeet Dalal, Deepak alias Chauda and Mohit Chhabra, had abducted Ram Pratap, a real estate developer, at gunpoint from Rohini sector-24.

“The accused blindfolded Pratap, abducted him in his car and confined him in a house. They called Pratap’s family members and demanded ₹50 lakh for his safe release. The kidnappers threatened to kill Pratap if the family failed to pay the ransom, or informed the police about the kidnapping,” Kushwah said. The kidnappers released the realtor the same evening after receiving ₹26 lakh. Till his release, the family did not inform the police about the kidnapping. The realtor, however, after getting released, informed the police and a case was registered at the Vijay Vihar police station, said the police.

Deepak and Chhabra were arrested while Rana and Dalal remained at large. A reward of ₹1 lakh on each was announced.

After his arrest on Friday, Rana told the police that during his stay in Rohini jail, Rana came in contact with Deepak and Dalal, and they together planned the kidnapping of Pratap.

Rana had been previously arrested by the Gurgaon police and the special cell in cases under The Arms Act. In March 2015, Rana and his associates had committed a double murder in Bindapur. They had gunned down two members of their rival gang by firing over 20 bullets. In 2009, Rana, with his aides, killed Satish, his partner in a cable business, over sharing of money, said the police.