Gang that terrorised Kairana operated from behind bars

KAIRANA (SHAMLI): Name of dreaded criminal Mukeem Kala of village Jaanpura became synonymous with terror in west UP and in the neighbouring states of Haryana and Uttarakhand some years ago. Responsible for most of the extortion cases in Kairana that reportedly caused several families to migrate out of the district, the gang continued with its reign of terror despite almost the entire gang being behind bars, including Kala.

Cops informed that Kala was nabbed in October 2015 and sent to Saharanpur jail. Later, he was shifted to Maharajganj district jail in east UP, where he is currently lodged.

Assistant superintendent of police, Shamli, AK Jha claimed that Kala’s Gang was the biggest in the area with 29 members. “While four members were killed in encounters, 25 were caught and sent to prison, including Kala. One of the gang members, Wajid Kala escaped from police custody in Saharanpur a few months ago. But the police are close to nabbing him again. Another member of the gang, Dr Israr also escaped from Kairana court but was caught again a month ago in a joint operation of Shamli and Panipat police,” he informed.

Sources shared that despite almost all the members being lodged in prison, the gang continued to harass the people of the area.

Kala entered the world of crime in 2010 by joining the gang of Mustafa alias Kagga of Gangoh, Saharanpur. After committing his first crime, a robbery in Panipat, Haryana, Kala never looked back and soon gained the trust of the gang leader.

In December 2011, he took over the gang’s command after Kagga was killed in an encounter.