: A life convict, who had been absconding, was arrested by the Special Cell in north-east Delhi’s Shahdara on Thursday. A loaded .32 calibre pistol and 50 live cartridges were seized from him, the police said.
Pankaj was convicted in a murder case registered at the Anand Vihar police station in 2012, said DCP (Special Cell) Pramod Singh Kushwah.
During his stay in jail, he came in contact with hardcore criminals, said the DCP.
He came out of jail in 2014 during the pendency of his appeal in the Delhi High Court and allegedly joined the Kamal Kumar alias Billa gang, who had rivalry with Kamaljeet alias Bittu gang over cable business.
Police on the lookout
“Inputs were being received since mid-January that Pankaj and his gang were planning to murder Bittu,” said the DCP. Since then, the police had been on his lookout.
The breakthrough came on Thursday, when a team led by ACP Lalit Mohan Negi and Inspector Bhushan Azad learnt that Pankaj would be going to Shahdara’s Bihari Colony to meet an associate.
A trap was laid, and the convict was nabbed around 5:15 p.m., the DCP said.
Pankaj and his associates— Sandeep, Rahul and Chetram— were first arrested in a case where they murdered a staff member of a bar in east Delhi’s Karkardooma, said the police.
Criminal record
Pankaj is a proclaimed offender in a murder case registered at the Karawal Nagar police station.
