In a major crackdown against “organised” crime in Uttar Pradesh, police rounded up 135 people with a criminal background – a majority of them history-sheeters – from Noida in an operation during the early hours of Thursday. More than 80 were repeat offenders in crimes like murder, attempt to murder, robbery, kidnapping for ransom and extortion; they were released after detailed verification.
Senior officers said this was done to break the nexus between crime syndicates active in Uttar Pradesh and small-time criminals working at the behest of such gangs. Noida’s additional deputy commissioner of police Shakti Avasthy said the drive was undertaken to foil any attempt by these criminals of getting in touch or working at the behest of established crime syndicates in the state.
“It was an elaborate operation where 135 persons with criminal background, majority of them history-sheeters, were rounded up. Using technical help, their coordinates were registered and all possible details about them were gathered to maintain a database. Despite intense rain and thunder, the operation was successfully executed,” Avasthy said.
The officer said all 135 people, residents of Gautam Buddha Nagar and neighbouring areas, were released after a detailed verification. But based on information and data collected, detailed dossiers were being prepared for first-timers while the records of history-sheeters were being updated.
There are 120 history-sheeters listed in nine police station areas of Noida in Gautam Buddh Nagar. Avasthy further said during verification, it was found that a number of criminals had even given up crime or had not been involved in any criminal activity for a long time.
“We have found that many of the history-sheeters or antisocial elements have now taken up regular jobs or are working with private firms, running shops or working as drivers,” Avasthy said.
The Uttar Pradesh police have intensified the crackdown on gangs, their members and other criminal elements, with over a dozen of them being killed during so-called encounters. Only recently, Anil Nagar alias Anil Dujana – a gangster wanted for extortion, murder, attempt to murder and ransom – was gunned down by the special task force (STF) in Meerut.
Dujana was among the 66 “most-wanted” gangsters on the list of the state police. In this list, seven gangs are from Noida. Weeks before Dujana’s killing, the STF had eliminated gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed’s son Asad Ahmed and his aide Ghulam Hussain in Jhansi on April 13.
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